Effect of Pre-Sowing Seed Treatments on germination behaviour and initial seedling growth of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Allahabad Safeda under agro climatic conditions of central Uttar Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted at the Biodiversity Park, School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur (U.P.), during July–December 2025, to evaluate the influence of twelve pre-sowing seed treatments on germination and initial seedling growth of guava cv. Allahabad Safeda. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with three replications. Treatments comprised soaking of seeds in tap water, GA₃ (25 and 50 ppm), neem water (5% and 10%), Bijamrut (5% and 10%), cow dung slurry (5% and 10%) and Panchgavya (5% and 10%) for 24 hours. Soaking in GA₃ 50 ppm recorded the minimum days to germination (16.0 days), the highest germination percentage (82.5%), and superior seedling height, leaf number, root length, secondary roots, survival percentage, fresh and dry biomass, shoot: root ratio and stem diameter at 150 days after sowing, and was statistically at par with GA₃ 25 ppm. Among organic treatments, Bijamrut and Panchgavya performed better than neem water and cow dung slurry. The untreated control recorded the poorest performance throughout. Soaking of seeds in GA₃ 50 ppm for 24 hours is recommended for raising vigorous guava rootstock seedlings, while Bijamrut and Panchgavya offer eco-friendly alternatives for sustainable nursery production.