Influence of seed dormancy breaking treatmentson seed quality of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens)

Abstract

The present study was conducted in order to know the influence ofdifferent dormancy breaking treatments on seed quality of velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens). The experiment was performed with 7treatments and 3 replications in a completely randomized design.Seeds were subjected to different treatments viz., Mechanicalscarification by using sand paper, immersion in hot water (80 °C) for15 minutes, Acid Scarification (seeds were soaked in 50 % H2SO4 for30 min followed by thorough washing in running water), immersionin cold water at room temperature for 24 hr, subjecting the exposureof seeds to heat at 55 °C for 16 hr in hot air oven, nicking of seeds atabaxial end and control (no treatment). The treated seeds weresubjected to various seed quality parameters viz., germination testunder laboratory conditions to determine the germination percentage,shoot length, root length and seedling dry weight of Mucunapruriens. Among these treatments, nicking of seeds at abaxial endrecorded higher percentage of seed germination (88.67 %) followedby scarification using sand paper (78 %). Similarly, shoot length(14.90 cm), root length (12.07 cm), seedling dry weight (0.261 g),seedling vigour index I (2391) and seedling vigour index II (23) werealso maximum in nicking of seed treatment