STUDIES ON DIFFERENT PRE-GERMINATION TREATMENT METHODS OF MARKING NUT SEEDS (SEMECARPUS ANACARDIUM LINN.).

An experiment was carried out to know the effect of different chemicals on seed germination of marking nut. The research was conducted at Sri Krishnadevaraya College of Horticultural Sciences, Ananthapuramu during the year 2022 and 2023. Experimental treatments comprised of ten treatments replicated thrice in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) viz., Control, Scarification, Gibberellic acid, Humic Acid, Hydrochloric acid (HCl), Sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄), Vermiwash, Hot water treatment, Thiourea and Potassium nitrate (KNO₃). The treatment of using H₂SO₄ for 5 minutes reduced number of days taken for germination (21.00), increased germination percentage (81.77 %), germination vigour index (0.64), number of primary roots per plant (28.38), number of secondary roots per plant (55.16), length of the root (25.50 cm), plant height (19.72 cm) at 180 days after sowing, fresh weight of the root (31.07 g), fresh weight of the shoot (9.29 g) and minimum was recorded in control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]