Effect of Pre-Sowing Treatment on Seed Germination and Seedlings Growth Characteristics of Albizia procera

The objective of this study was to identify the most suitable pre-treatment method that will increase germination and enhance seedling growth of Albizia procera. The fresh seeds of A. procera were collected from five provenances viz., Bilaspur, Bastar, Korba, Raigarh and Sarguja of Chhattisgarh, India to study the germination and growth characteristics of A. procera after pre-sowing treatment. The experiment was carried out at Forestry Nursery (Department of Forestry, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidhyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India). Three pre-treatment methods were employed i.e., soaking in coldwater for 24 hrs at room temperature, in hot water (50°C), and Hormonal treatment IAA (25%). These all pre-treatments were undertaken separately and compared with control i.e. after each pre-treatment.The result show significant differences (P≤0.05) in germination percentage and seedling growth by pre-sowing treatments as compared to control across all the five provenances. The overall results confirm the stimulation in the aforementioned germination and growth characteristics of A. procera by hormonal treatment (IAA 25%) for raising elite nursery stock, and for successful plantation. Also, it was recorded that across all the provenances Bilaspur and Bastar provenance show better results for both germination and growth attributes than other provenances.