Breaking dormancy and boosting vigor: Comparative effects of seed treatments on germination and seedling growth in Melia dubia

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of different seed treatments and potting media on the germination and early seedling growth of Meliadubia Cav., a fast-growing industrial tree species with poor natural germination. The experiment was conducted during 2021-22 at UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru, using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) comprising nine treatments with four replications. Results indicated that scarification with 1% H₂SO₄ significantly improved germination percentage (63.88%), speed (0.97), and capacity (75.50%). Soaking in cow dung slurry also enhanced germination (54.05%) and shoot growth. Hormonal treatments (GA₃, Cytokinin, NAA) influenced seedling vigour parameters but were less effective for germination enhancement. The findings suggest that simple organic and chemical treatments can significantly improve seedling production for forestry and agroforestry systems.