Enhancing Germination Efficiency in Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. (Fabaceae) through Seed Pre-treatment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/bjrst.10072.2026Keywords:
Dalbergia latifolia, seed germination, gibberellic acid, seed treatmentAbstract
Dalbergia latifolia, commonly known as Indian rosewood, is found in the Terai and distributed up to 1000 m in the Chure region of Nepal. This slow-growing species is threatened by overexploitation and illegal logging for its timber. This research was carried out to examine different seed treatment methods for the germination of D. latifolia. The primary objective of our research was to investigate the effect of various treatments and determine the most effective seed treatment method for enhancing seed germination of this species. The fallen pods from mother trees at Thulo Garduwa, Sindhuli, were collected in March. From the sun-dried fruits, the seeds were manually extracted and treated with water, 300 ppm Gibberlic Acid (GA₃), Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH). The treated and untreated (control) seeds were sown in completely randomized designed (CRD) plots inside the greenhouse. The germination data was recorded and analyzed. The germination parameters, like germination percentage (GP), total length of seedlings, vigor index (VI), germination rate (GR) and mean germination time (MGT), were calculated from the collected data. The result indicated that the seed treated with 300 ppm GA₃ showed the best germination with higher GP (53.67), total length (18.16 cm), VI (976.46), GR (6.94) and shorter MGT (8.01 days). Similarly, the least germination was given by KOH with GP (31.33) and GR (3.11), however, minimum seedling length (12.74 cm) and VI (557.62) were observed for the control. Surprisingly, KOH showed the best performance after GA₃ for seedling length. In conclusion, D. latifolia seeds possess low to moderate physiological dormancy and treatment with 300 ppm GA₃ significantly improved both germination performance and seedling growth.
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