Hibiscus coddii subsp. barnardii is an endemic South African plant species with ornamental potential. The limited plant availability in nature and restrictions on the collection of living plant material (cuttings) for cultivation purposes, necessitated the development of a protocol for in vitro seed propagation to ensure all year round ex vitro establishment of plants. The effect of culture medium on seed germination and seedling performance was therefore studied. Various types of sterile seed cultures, namely moist filter paper bridges, five different strengths (¼, ½, –, full, 1¼) of PGR-free Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) and solid Gelrite® medium (control) were investigated. High germination percentages (85%-98%) were found in all three seed cultures, although seeds germinated on filter paper, Gelrite ® and lower strengths (¼, ½, –) of MS medium had shorter mean germination times (1.6-2.8 days) than those germinated on full and 1¼ strengths (3.5-4 days) of MS medium. Furthermore, the growth performance of seedlings varied with the strength of MS medium and was best supported on full strength MS medium, whereas ¼ and ½ strength MS media and Gelrite® cultures were detrimental for seedling growth.
In Bhutan, cultivation of exotic commercial Kiwifruit fruit is new though wild kiwifruit is found aplenty. There is a high scope for kiwifruit cultivation as it is suitable in a wide range of areas in the country. It can also be grown organically due to the lack of any known serious pest or disease. Fittingly, kiwifruit is counted among the most potential high-value fruit crops in the country. Its cultivation is gaining popularity in the current times and it would consequently increase the demand for kiwifruit seedlings. Kiwifruit seeds exhibit physiological seed dormancy which hampers kiwifruit seedling production. Hence, a study was conducted in 2019 and 2020 at ARDC, Wengkhar. In the study, the combined effect of GA3 and growth medium on kiwifruit seed germination was studied using eight treatments with three replications laid out in a Completely Randomized Design. The study aimed to find out the germination parameters like germination percentage, relativized percentage, mean germination time, time taken for 10% germination, and time taken for 25% germination. According to the study, Cocopeat + 1500 ppm GA3 gave the best germination percentage at 51% followed by Biochar + 1500 PPM at 39% while rice bran and compost exhibited a low germination percentage. Overall, the mean germination time was found to be 50 days. The highest relativized percentage of 63 % was observed in Cocopeat + 1500 ppm GA3. As for the time taken to achieve 10% and 20% germination, those treatments with 1500 GA3 application had an advantage of approximately eight days over the others. Overall, considering the average weighted effect of germination percentage and time, Cocopeat + GA3 1500 PPM gave the best result followed by Biochar + GA3 1500 PPM and Cocopeat + GA3 0 PPM. Hence, the study indicates that GA3 treatment in combination with an appropriate germination medium can significantly enhance seed germination in kiwifruit.
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