Influence of bio-formulations and gibberellic acid on seed germination and seedling growth of Dillenia indica L.
Abstract
The elephant apple (Dillenia indica L.) is an underutilised fruit crop of India, locally cultivated for food, medicinal and ornamental purposes. The fruits are rich in vitamin C and minerals and are a natural source of bioactive compounds. The present investigation was conducted under shade net conditions at the Hi-tech nursery unit of the Department of Horticulture, Post Graduate College of Agriculture, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur (Bihar) during the year 2022–23. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomised design (CRD) and replicated 4 times. The research experiment was conducted on seeds of D. indica to evaluate the seed germination and seedling growth under the influence of different treatments viz., Control (plain seeds without soaking), soaking seeds in water, Jeevamruth solution, Panchagavya solution and gibberellic acid (GA₃) solutions for 24 hr. The results revealed that the seeds soaked for 24 hr with GA3 at the rate of 600 ppm exhibited the shortest time to initiate germination (31.36 days) whereas GA3 at the rate of 800 ppm showed the highest germination percentage (69.88 %) compared to other treatments. The seedling growth parameters, such as primary root length, secondary root count, plant height and leaf number varied significantly under the influence of different treatments.