Seed germination studies in Amaltas

The present study entitled "Seed Germination Studies in Amaltas (Cassia fistula)" was conducted during the year 2024-25 at the Centre of Excellence for Citrus, Horticulture Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur. The primary objectives were to evaluate the effect of different seed treatments on germination and to identify the most effective treatment for enhancing seed germination in Cassia fistula. The experiment was designed in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with ten seed treatments, including acids such as concentrated HCl, H₂SO₄, and HNO₃ applied for varying durations (2.5, 5, and 7.5 minutes), along with a control, and each treatment was replicated thrice. Observations were recorded for germination and growth parameters. Among all treatments, seeds treated with conc. H₂SO₄ for 7.5 minutes (T7) showed significantly superior results, including the earliest germination (2.00 days) and the highest germination percentage (98.67%). T7 also exhibited maximum values for growth parameters (plant height, shoot length, number of leaves per seedling, stem girth, leaf length, fresh weight, dry weight and survival percentage). Based on the findings, conc. H₂SO₄ treatment for 7.5 minutes is recommended as the most effective pre-sowing treatment for improving germination and early seedling growth in Cassia fistula.