Effect of different seed treatments on germination, seedling vigour and survival of Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) cv. Kagzi lime

Introduction

Citrus is the third largest fruit industry in India, which ranks sixth globally in citrus production. The group includes mandarins, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits and hybrids, and the North Eastern Region is a major centre of origin and diversity (Ghosh, 2007) [2] . Citrus fruits are valued for flavour, colour and high vitamin-C content, and serve both as commercial crops and rootstocks. Seed propagation is widely adopted due to polyembryony, ensuring true-to-type and vigorous seedlings (Khatana et al., 2015) [6] . However, germination is slow and irregular (27-58%) with high early mortality due to seed-coat barriers and inhibitors (Jaiswal et al., 2018) [5] . Pre-sowing treatments can overcome these limitations: GA 3 enhances enzymatic mobilisation of reserves (Panda et al., 2018) [11] , KNO 3 releases dormancy and improves seedling growth, and thiourea also breaks dormancy. Such treatments significantly improve germination, seedling vigour and stress tolerance in citrus (Krishnaveni et al., 2010) [7] . Salicylic acid (SA), a phenolic compound functioning as an endogenous growth regulator, has been demonstrated to mitigate oxidative stress and enhance seed germination under adverse conditions (Hernandez et al., 2017 and Mir et al., 2021) [3&10]. Cow urine contains bioactive compounds such as urea, uric acid, hormones and micronutrients, which stimulate physiological processes, improving seedling growth and vigour (Raj Joshi et al., 2019) [13] . Cow dung slurry, rich in microbial flora and growth-promoting substances like auxins, supplies essential nutrients (N, P, K) and improves seed coat permeability, thereby promoting better germination and root development (Raj et al., 2014) [14] .

Materials and Methods

The investigation was carried out during the year 2025-26 at Pt. K.L.S. College of Horticulture and Research Station, Rajnandgaon (C.G.) The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with 13 treatments replicated thrice. The treatments comprising different concentrations of GA 3 , Thiourea, KNO 3 , Salicylic acid, Cow urine and Cow dung, along with a control are T 0 -Control, T 1 -GA 3 @ 100 ppm, T 2 -GA 3 @ 200 ppm, T 3 -Thiourea @ 0.5%, T 4 -Thiourea @ 1%, T 5 -KNO 3 @ 2%, T 6 -KNO 3 @ 3%, T 7 -Salicylic acid @ 100 ppm, T 8 -Salicylic acid @ 200 ppm, T 9 -Cow urine @ 5%, T 10 -Cow urine @ 10%, T 11 -Cow dung @ 50 g L -1

and T 12 -Cow dung @ 100 g L -1

. A potting mixture of soil, sand and FYM (1:1:1) was filled uniformly into perforated 6" × 12" polythene bags. Working solutions of GA 3 , thiourea, KNO 3 , salicylic acid, cow urine and cow dung were prepared as per standard procedures and uniform seeds were soaked for 12 hours in their respective solutions, while control seeds were soaked in distilled water. Treated seeds were sown and the bags were arranged according to the layout. Uniform cultural practices-including irrigation, weeding, insecticidal sprays for caterpillar and leaf miner were followed throughout. Observations were recorded at regular intervals on germination parameters, viz. days taken to 1st seed germination, days taken to 50 percent germination, germination percentage and survival percentage. Seedling vigour indices (SVI-I and SVI-II) were computed as per standard procedures and the data were statistically analysed to determine significant differences among treatments.

Result and Discussion

Days taken to 1st seed germination

The data regarding days taken to 1st seed germination is presented in Table 1. Minimum days taken to 1st seed germination was recorded under treatment T 2 (20.40) with GA 3 @ 200 ppm. The maximum days taken for initiation of germination was observed in treatment T 0 (30.32) with (control). The superiority of GA 3 @ 200 ppm in promoting early germination might be due to its role in enhancing hydrolytic enzyme activity, facilitating rapid mobilization of food reserves and promoting early radicle emergence. These findings align with earlier reports by Jadhav et al., (2019) [4] in rangpur lime, Yadav et al., (2020) [17] in rangpur lime.

Days taken to 50% seed germination

A significant variation was observed among the treatments for days required for 50% germination. The earliest 50% germination was recorded in T 2 (GA 3 @ 200 ppm) with 23.20 days, which was followed by T 1 (25.06 days). The maximum number of days for 50% germination (37.50 days) was observed in the control (T 0 -control), clearly indicating delayed germination in untreated seeds. The enhanced response of GA 3 , particularly at 200 ppm, might be associated with its role in stimulating hydrolytic enzyme activity, ensuring faster mobilization of stored reserves and promoting early radicle emergence. Similar results were reported by Yadav et al. (2020) [17] in rangpur lime and Aishwarya and Bahadur (2024) [1] in acid lime, supporting the superiority of GA 3 treatments for early germination.

Germination percentage

A significant influence of treatments on germination percentage was recorded under the different treatments. The highest germination (90.60%) was occurred in T 2 (GA 3 @ 200 ppm), which was statistically at par with T 1 (GA 3 @ 100 ppm) registering 87.21% germination. The minimum germination percentage (60.20%) was observed in the control (T 0 -control). The superior germination in GA 3 -treated seeds may be due to enhanced hydrolytic enzyme activity, especially α-amylase, which ensures rapid mobilization of stored carbohydrates and supports early embryo growth. Similar promotive effects of GA 3 on germination percentage have been reported by Patel et al. (2024) [12] in wood apple and Kumar et al. (2025) [9] in papaya.

Seedling vigour index-I

Seedling vigour index-I varied significantly among the treatments. The maximum seedling vigour index-I (4183.91 cm) was recorded under the treatment T 2 -GA 3 @ 200 ppm, which was significantly followed by T 1 -GA 3 @ 100 ppm (3650.61 cm) and T 6 -KNO 3 @ 3% (3183.22 cm). However, the minimum seedling vigour index-I (1424.93 cm) was recorded under T 0 -control. The marked improvement under GA 3 treatments, indicates its positive role in enhancing physiological vigour through accelerated enzymatic activity, efficient mobilization of stored reserves and rapid elongation of root and shoot during germination. Similar results were also reported by Solanki et al. (2018) [16] in papaya.

Seedling vigour index-II

The highest value of seedling vigour index-II (1253.90 g) was obtained under the treatment T 2 -GA 3 @ 200 ppm, which was significantly followed by T 1 -GA 3 @ 100 ppm (1100.59) at 5% level of significance. However, the minimum seedling vigour index-II (447.29 g) was recorded under T 0 -control. Overall, seeds treated with GA 3 exhibited markedly higher seedling vigour index-II, reflecting enhanced physiological strength and improved seedling establishment. The promotive effect of GA 3 may be attributed to its ability to activate hydrolytic enzymes, improve reserve mobilization and facilitate cell elongation and division during early seedling development. These results corroborate earlier findings by Shivare et al. (2023) [15] in acid lime, who also reported significant improvement in vigour with GA 3 application.

Survival percentage

The maximum survival percentage (87.43) was obtained the treatment T 2 -GA 3 @ 200 ppm, which was superior over all other treatments and significantly followed by treatment T 1 -GA 3 @ 100 ppm (83.29%) and T 6 -KNO 3 @ 3% (78.33%) at 5% level of significance. However, the minimum survival percentage (49.26) was recorded under T 0 -control. The maximum survival percentage was observed under GA 3 treated seeds, which might be due to its role in stimulating early germination, rapid reserve mobilization, and vigorous root-shoot development that help seedlings establish more efficiently and withstand environmental stress. Similar findings were also reported by Yadav et al. (2018) [18] in Papaya and Kumar et al. (2024) [8] in Dragon fruit seedlings.

Conclusion

It can be inferred from the present investigation that different seed treatments had a clear influence on the germination, seedling vigour and survival of acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) cv. Kagzi lime. Among all treatments, GA 3 @ 200 ppm proved most effective, consistently promoting germination, superior seedling vigour and better survival. Overall, GA 3 @ 200 ppm was found suitable for achieving healthy, vigorous and uniform seedling establishment in acid lime

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentsWe thank the college Pandit Kishori Lal Shukla College of Horticulture and Research Station, Rajnandgaon for rendering all necessary facilities required for fulfillment of this research work.

References

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18. Yadav SS, Singh R, Kumar P. Effect of GA3 on seed germination and seedling growth of papaya (Carica papaya L.). J Hortic Sci. 2018;45(1):55-60. How to cite this article: Sahu S, Sangeeta, Paikra M, Kumari V, Singh N, Patel H. Effect of different seed treatments on germination, seedling vigour and survival of Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) cv. Kagzi lime. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2026;SP-10(9):2684-2687. doi: https://w ww.doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2026.v10.i9Sag.10243 International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research https://www.biochemjournal.com 26174707, 2026, 10(9), Downloaded from https://www.doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2026.v10.i9Sag.10243 by International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research on [03/10/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://www.biochemjournal.com) for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License