Effects of Seed Treatments on Germination and Seedling Growth Attributes of Horitaki (Terminalia chebula Retz.) in the nursery

The study was conducted over a period of six months from January to June 2004 to explore the effects of different seed treatments on germination and seedling growth attributes of a popular medicinal plant, Horitoki (Terminalia chebula Retz) in the nursery of Chittagong University, Bangladesh. Seeds were subjected to six pre-sowing treatments e.g. control (T ), depulped (T ), depulped and soaked in cold water for 12 hours (T ), 0 1 2 depulped and soaked in cold water for 24 hours (T ), depulped and soaked in cold water for 48 hours (T ) and 3 4 depulped and soaked in hot water for 2 minutes (T ). The study revealed that depulping the fruits and soaking 5 in water for various periods significantly enhanced seed germination and seedling growth. Seed germination started 29 days after sowing and continued up to 86 days. The highest germination percentage (66.7%) was observed in the fruit depulped and soaked in cold water for 48 hours (T ) followed by 60% in the depulped 4 seeds soaked in cold water for 24 hours (T ). The lowest germination percentage (48.9%) was obtained from 3 controlled seeds (T ). The highest germination value (4.41), germination energy (58.9) and vigor index (5291) 0 was also obtained in T , which was significantly (p<0.05) different from the control and other treatments. Shoot 4 length, root length, collar diameter and leaf number followed the same trend of higher value for T T and T 4, 5 3 respectively. Similar trend was also observed in shoot, root and total seedling dry weight. Therefore, presowing treatment, T (depulped seeds soaking in cold water for 48 hours) was more effectivein germination and 4 production of quality seedling of T. chebula in the nursery.