Enhancement of Germination on Abrus Precatorius L. Seeds by Specific Pre-sowing Treatments

Herbal medicines are in great demand for preliminary health care due to their wide medicinal value, with no side effects. Since many species are used in the system of traditional medicine, scientists have great opportunities to develop appropriate packages of practices for their multiplication and conservation. Abrus precatorius is the native plant of India and used in many ways in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine. This seeds of the species is dormant due to hard seed coat. So the aim of the study is to remove seed dormancy and enhance germination capacity within a short period. To overcome the problem of dormancy, seeds were scarified by seed scarifier and sand paper and also treated with acid (H2SO4) and hot water just before sowing. 60-95% germination was achieved under different treatment conditions while the seeds without any treatment fail to germinate. The highest (95%) germination was observed just 12 days after sowing in seeds treated with concentrated H2SO4 for 120 minutes. 70-75% germination was achieved when the seeds were treated with acid for 105 and 135 minutes. Seeds treated with con. H2SO4 for 150, 90 and 60 minutes and also scarified by sand paper showed similar results with 60-65% germination. The seeds scarified by a mechanical scarifier and treated with hot water did not show more than 32.5% germination.