Optimizing Pre-sowing Seed Treatments and Growing Media for Enhancement of Germination Attributes of Chironji [Buchanania cochinchinensis (Lour.) M. R. Almeida]
A. N. Geetha *
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India.
M. K. Desai
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India.
S. K. Sinha
Department of Forest Products and Utilization, College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India.
M. B. Tandel
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India.
Y. A. Garde
Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi, India.
Sudha Hubballi
Department of Forest Resource Management, College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India.
Gowri B. Gowda
Department of Forest Resource Management, College of Forestry, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study examined the effects of pre-sowing seed treatments and growing media on the germination performance of Buchanania cochinchinensis (Lour.) M. R. Almeida at the College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat. The experiment was laid out in a factorial completely randomised design (FCRD) comprising sixteen treatment combinations across two factors, including four pre-sowing seed treatments viz., S1: Control, S2: GA3 @ 200 ppm (24 h), S3: Water soaking (24 h) and S4: Alternate wetting (24 h) & drying (12 h), and four growing media viz., M1: Soil (control), M2: Soil + Sand (2:1), M3: Soil + Sand + VC (2:1:1) and M4: Soil + VC (4:1). Each treatment was replicated three times, and the seeds were sown directly into polybags. The seed treatment with GA₃ @ 200 ppm for 24 h was found to be the most effective, while Soil + Sand (2:1) was identified as the best growing medium. The interaction of GA₃ @ 200 ppm for 24 h with Soil + Sand (2:1) significantly improved the germination parameters, resulting in earlier germination (9.33 days), shorter germination period (19.33 days), lower time to 50 per cent final germination (13.00 days), and reduced mean germination time (13.52 days). It also recorded the maximum germination percentage (98.33%), mean daily germination (5.09), peak value (1.54), germination value (7.83), and germination rate index (1.52). These findings indicate that GA3 @ 200 ppm for 24 h combined with soil + sand (2:1) has potential for improving Chironji germination under the nursery conditions.
Keywords: Chironji, Buchanania cochinchinensis, seed germination, pre-sowing seed treatments, gibberellic acid (GA₃), growing media, soil–sand mixture, seed dormancy, germination percentage, factorial completely randomised design