Effect of Presowing Treatments on Germination Efficiency in Winter Guava ( <i>Psidium guajava</i> L.) cv. Allahabad Safeda

Guava seed propagation is important for raising healthy seedlings and rootstocks for increasing its production and quality. Winter guava crop seed germination is difficult but can be improved using different presowing seed treatments. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different presowing treatments and fruit maturity stages on germination behavior of guava cv. Allahabad Safeda using different methods of soaking, mechanical scarification, and chemical treatments. Among all different presowing treatments and seed type, seeds extracted from ripened guava fruits with big seeds (S3) showed the maximum germination count (81.00) and seed germination percentage (90%) using scraping with sandpaper for 2 min treatment (T4) while control (T7) resulted in least germination count (15.67) and germination percentage (17.41%) was recorded with use of unripe fruit with immature and small seeds. The physiological maturity of the seeds was identified as a key factor, as fully mature seeds showed superior germination. Over‐scraping or under‐scraping reduced the guava seed germination success, highlighting the need for optimal treatment duration. This research has practical implications for guava growers and farmers, providing a method to maximize germination rates and improve seedling emergence.