Presowing treatment effects on germination of Cornus capitata seeds

Pretreatment effects on germination of Cornus capitata seeds were studied to determine the dormancy status, improve germination response and identify best responding seed provenances. The tetrazolium test revealed variation in viability (63.3-83.3%) in seed lot from different seed provenances. Compared to proportion of viable seeds, germination percentage (control set) was poor (11.4-24.7%) in all seed sources. Under various presowing treatments seeds from different populations did not exhibit uniformity in responses. The sulphuric acid (5 min) treatment improved germination response significantly (p<0.05) in seeds of all the provenances. This treatment also reduced days taken for first germination (32.67-38.67%) and significantly (p<0.05) reduced the mean germination time (MGT) if compared to control. However, considering the risk factors associated with sulphuric acid treatments, the less labour intensive and easy to handle water soaking (36 h) pretreatment was recommended for village/forest nurseries in the Himalaya.