SEED GERMINATION, DORMANCY BREAKING TECHNIQUES OF CITRULLUS COLOCYNTHIS (L.) SCHRAD PLANT

In the present study, dormancy and germination requirements were investigated in seeds of Citrullus colocynthis (L.). Seeds were subjected to 10 pretreatments in the present study. These pretreatments included hot water (100oC) followed by the seeds placed between double layered filter paper moistened with 5 ml of distilled water and kept at 28 - 30 °C, sulphuric acid (98% v/v), for 30 min followed by the seeds placed between double layered filter paper moistened with 5 ml of distilled water and kept at 28 – 30oC, and sulphuric acid (98% v/v), for 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after which seeds were placed between double layered filter paper moistened with 5 ml of distilled water and kept at alternating temperatures 20 / 25oC (12h / 12h). In the last four pretreatments, Citrullus colocynthis (L.) seeds were subjected to10 and 20 mg/l GA3 followed by moistening with 5 ml of distilled water, 10 mg/l GA3, or 20 mg/l GA3. Concentrated sulphuric acid was partly-successful in dormancy-breaking. Moreover, germination increased at pretreatments and treatments of various levels of gibberellic acid. The highest germination rate and percentage were obtained at concentration of 10 mg/l GA3.