Seed Priming for Improving Seed Germination and Growth of Peach cv. Sharbati

           The experiment entitled “Seed priming for improving seed germination and growth of peach cv. Sharbati” was carried out in Horticultural Experimental Area, Nursery, P.G. Department of Agriculture, Khalsa College, Amritsar during the year 2021-22. In this study, peach seeds were treated with different pre-sowing treatments and planted in polythene bags having size 7×7 inches. The experiment was performed in Randomized Block Design with three replications and was assessed to know the effect of different treatments on seed germination and growth. Ten treatments comprised soaking of peach seeds in H₂SO₄ for 5 and 10 minutes, KNO₃ (1% and 2%) for 24 hours, kinetin (0.50 ppm) and kinetin (0.75 ppm) for 24 hours, GA₃ @ 500, 1000 and 1500 ppm for 24 hours and control (untreated seeds). The result obtained in the present studies showed that among different treatments, seeds treated with GA₃ @ 1500 ppm for 24 hours recorded the minimum days (22.00 days) required for initiation of germination, 50 per cent germination (28.66 days), complete germination (35.66 days) and maximum germination (46.66 % and 66.66 %) which was at par with the application of GA₃ @ 1000 ppm for 24 hours while the maximum days (39.66 days) taken for germination were recorded with control (without soaking). Application of GA₃ @ 1500 ppm also proved to be superior in the production of maximum plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, stem diameter at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 DAS.