Effect of seed priming on peach, plum and apricot germination and subsequent seedling growth

Abstract

Seed priming was done in peach, plum and apricot using water soaking (WS), GA3 (500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 ppm) and various combinations of GA3 + water soaking treatments. Among various treatments highest per cent germination in peach (31.33), plum (75.33) and apricot (73.33) was obtained by soaking the seeds in water for 9 days followed by treating with GA3 2000 ppm for 24 h, i.e. T9 and it was at par with T8 (WS 9D + GA3 1500 ppm) in peach, whereas, in plum and apricot, T8 proved to be the second best treatment. Peach, plum and apricot seeds receiving no treatment (control) recorded minimum germination (2.66, 18.00 and 15.33%, respectively). Seeds soaked in water for 9 days and treated with 2000 ppm GA3 for 24 h recorded the maximum seedling height and girth in peach (83.96 cm, 6.63 mm), plum (90.94 cm, 8.04 mm) and apricot (93.80 cm, 8.12 mm) after 120 days of germination.