Sood, K.KJan, Rafia2021-03-022021-03-022020-12Preferred for your work. Rafia jan. 2021. . Effect of Pre-sowing Treatments and Sowing time on Growth and Development of Melia composita.M.Sc. (Forestry) Thesis.Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agriculrtural Sciences and Technology of Jammu36642https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810161836Melia composita is an economically important multipurpose fast growing tree species. It has poor germination capacity which may be due to physical dormancy caused by its hard seed coat. The afforestation of this species either in pure plantation or in agroforestry will, therefore, be affected by its poor germination. Hence an investigation entitled “Effect of pre-sowing treatments and sowing time on growth and development of Melia composita” was carried out in the Division of Agroforestry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Chatha, during the year 2019 to enhance germination and obtain better quality planting stock of the species. The experiment was laid out in Factorial CRD (Complete Randomization Design) with pre-sowing treatments (7 levels) and sowing time (two levels). In this way there were fourteen treatment combinations. Each treatment was replicated thrice. The pre-sowing treatments included: soaking drupes in Gibberlic acid (50 ppm) for 24 hours, soaking drupes in Gibberlic acid (100 ppm) for 24 hours, soaking drupes in concentrated H2S04 for 10 minutes, soaking drupes in concentrated H2S04 for 15 minutes, mechanical scarification, soaking drupes in cow dung slurry for 30 days and control (no treatment). The sowing dates were: D1 (20th April, 2019) and D2 (04th May, 2019). In general, germination percentage and most of the growth parameters (seedling height, collar diameter, number of leaves, fresh shoot weight, dry shoot weight, length of primary root, number of secondary roots, fresh root weight, dry root weight, total seedling fresh weight, total seedling dry weight and seedling quality index) were highest in mechanical scarification. This could be due to the reason that mechanical scarification allows water and air to enter into the seed which is otherwise prevented by hard seed coat. The sowing date significantly influenced all the studied growth parameters except seedling height. The sowing of 20th April, 2019 had significantly higher collar diameter, number of leaves, fresh shoot weight, dry shoot weight, length of primary root, number of secondary roots, fresh root weight, dry root weight, total seedling fresh weight, total seedling dry weight and seedling quality index than the sowing date of 04th May, 2019. This could probably be due to fact that sowing of 20th April, 2019 is an earlier sowing compared sowing of 04th May, 2019 and hence plant germinated in sowing of 20th April, 2019 might have got longer period of growth and hence better overall growth parameters. The effect of interaction of pre-sowing treatment x sowing date was significant on seedling height, collar diameter, number of leaves, fresh shoot weight, dry shoot weight, length of primary root, number of secondary roots, fresh root weight, dry root weight, total seedling fresh weight, total seedling dry weight, root: shoot ratio and seedling quality index. The interaction of mechanical scarification x sowing-20th April had significantly higher values for the most studied growth parameters than the remaining interactions. The overall superior performance of seedlings in the interaction effect of mechanical scarification x 20th April was probably due to combined effect of increased permeability of seed to water and air coupled with longer period of growth. The study implies that mechanical scarification of drupes of Melia composita carried out and sowing of the same be done in April, 20 to obtain better quality seedlings. Further, studies need to be done to compare out planting success of seedlings raised using different treatments and sowing dates.EnglishThesis