Effect of Different Seed Treatment on Germination of Fishtail Palm (Caryota urens) under Naturally Ventilated Poly-house Conditions

An investigation was conducted to study the effect of different seed treatments comprising of mechanical scarification, chemical and plant growth regulator on germination of Fishtail palm (Caryota urens) seeds under naturally ventilated poly-house at sheth D. M. Polytechnic in Horticulture College, Anand Agricultural University, Vadodara during 2021 to 2023. There were total 12 treatments under study which was replicated trice and statistically analysed by completely randomized design at 90 days after sowing. The results revealed that treatment T12 i.e. seeds treated with GA3 1000 ppm for one day recorded significantly lesser days to initiation of germination (46.33 days) along with higher germination percentage (86.67 % and 85.00 %), germination rate index (5.90 %/day and 5.70 %/day) and germination index (255 and 243.67), coefficient of velocity of germination (6.18 and 6.02), timpson’s germination index (1275 and 1218), modified timpson germination index (42.50 and 40.61) and survival percentage (88.33 and 86.67) at 90 days after sowing during first and second year respectively. While, seed without any treatment kept in open condition treatment T1 showed poor performance in germination percentage as well as survival percentage. Thus, Fishtail palm (Caryota urens) seeds soaked in solution of 1000 ppm GA3 along with sowing them in polybags and kept under NVPH condition provides better germination and survival.