Studies on duration of seed dormancy and dormancy breaking methods on seed quality in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seeds

Abstract

The laboratory experiment was conducted during 2018-19 having 19 treatments with 4 replications planned with CRD design. Freshly harvested cucumber variety Swarna Sheetal seeds were exposed to various physico-chemical dormancy breaking methods. For physical methods seeds were exposed to a different treatments and duration. For chemical treatments, soaking duration was 24 h. Results revealed that exposure of cucumber seeds to a hot dry air treatment at 70 ℃ for 3 days (T11) showed significantly highest (90.25%) normal seedling per cent, shoot length (14.42 cm), root length (21.07 cm), seedling dry weight (725.00 mg), seedling vigour index-I (3202), seedling vigour index-II (65432) and dehydrogenase enzyme activity (0.051 OD value) compared to other treatments and control and it was found on par with thiourea @ 0.5% (T16). However, significantly highest (0.634 dSm-1) electrical conductivity recorded in control (T1) and lowest (0.227 dSm-1) in hot dry air treatment at 70 ℃ for 3 days (T11). For duration of seed dormancy results showed that cucumber variety “Swarna Sheetal” exists up to 35 to 40 days after harvest with germination per cent of 61.25 to 63.50% respectively.