Sulphate of potash and dipping time influence the seed germination and growth of pecan nuts
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Abstract
To investigate the influence of various levels of SOP and dipping time on seed germination and growth of pecan nuts, a study was carried out at Horticulture Department, Agriculture University Peshawar, Pakistan (during 2012). The experiment consists of SOP levels (0,2,4,6,8 & 10%) and dipping times (5,10,15 & 20 hours) respectively in order to find out the optimum level of SOP and best dipping time for successful germination and better growth of pecan nuts. The results revealed that SOP levels and dipping time significantly affected most of the parameters under study. The interactions between SOP and dipping time showed significant differences for all parameters except germination percentage, root length, leaf area plant-1, stem diameter. The pecan nuts treated with 10% SOP solution showed best result regarding, number of roots plant-1(73.00), seedling height plant-1 (22.53 cm), stem diameter plant-1 (0.63 cm), root length (61.67 cm), germination percentage (70.83%). The mean data for dipping time indicated that the pecan nuts dipped for 10 hours showed best results for number of roots plant-1(69.00), seedling height plant-1 (19.04 cm), root length plant-1 (56.11 cm), germination percentage (65.00 %), and. It was concluded from the experiment that SOP @ 10% with 10 hours of dipping time gave best results in seed germination, seedling growth and establishment of pecan nuts plants under agro climatic conditions of Peshawar, Pakistan.
Keywords: Dipping times; Sulphate of potash; Pecan nuts; Germination