Seed germination behaviour of berberis lycium royle from anni khad watershed area, Kullu (Himachal Pradesh)

Berberis lycium (Berberidaceae), commonly known as Kasmal or Indian barberry is an economically and medicinally important plant species. It is extensively used for the treatment of various liver, abdominal and skin diseases. All parts of the plant are used in various Ayurvedic preparations. According to the IUCN, it is categorized as vulnerable. In order to fulfill the demand of plant material of local populations and pharmaceutical companies it is required to cultivate the concerned plant species. It is generally propagated through seeds. The seeds of this plant species possess dormancy which hampers the seed germination. Therefore, understanding of seed physiological aspects would be of great significance in plant regeneration through seeds. Thus, we have examined the ecophysiological aspects of seeds of B. lycium from Anni Khad Watershed area from Kullu (Himachal Pradesh). Freshly harvested seeds of B. lycium exhibited poor germination (40% after 24 d). The effect of various physico-chemical (acid scarification (AS) 5 min., SNP 1 mM, KNO³ 2 mM and proline1 mM) and GA³ (1 mM) treatments were examined in order to achieve improved germination. Seed germination was enhanced by all the treatments. Among all the treatments applied, proline (1 mM) was found to be most effective in enhancing seed germination performance. It caused 78% germination as compared to 40% germination in control. All other treatments were also effective in improving seed germination percentage, germination speed and emergence index, when applied individually or after acid scarification. The magnitude of enhancement in seed germination was higher with individual treatments as compared to combined treatments. Enhanced germination with all the treatments applied individually was consistent with the increased α-amylase activity. In contrast, acid scarified seeds treated with various effectors exhibited decreased α-amylase. It might be due to the fact that AS alone inhibited the α-amylase activity. Data having implications for seed-based multiplications of B. lycium