Enhancing germination and seedling quality of Turkey berry (Solanum torvum) through seed dormancy-breaking methods

Abstract: The Turkey berry plant (Solanum torvum Sw), used as rootstock for vegetable grafting and a key medicinal species in Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), and homeopathy from the Solanaceae family, faces challenges in commercial cultivation due to seed dormancy, which inhibits germination. To enhance the germination and seedling quality characteristics of Turkey berries, an experiment was therefore carried out in the Department of Vegetable Sciences at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, in the years 2022–2023. In this study, effectiveness of seed dormancy-breaking treatments (12) using a Completely Randomised Block Design (CRD) with replicated three times undertaken. The seed treatment includes control, physical scarification using tap and hot water, and chemical scarification using GA₃ and KNO₃. The maximum values for early germination, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, shoot length, and root length were significantly recorded by GA₃ 400 ppm for 24 hours among the various treatments. However, the KNO₃ 3% treatment for 24 hours was superior to GA₃ 400 ppm treatment for 24 hours in terms of early germination, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, shoot length, and root length. It also had a significant impact on the germination and survival percentage, while the control had the lowest value. Therefore, it may be recommended to use GA₃ 400 ppm and KNO₃ 3% for 24 hours to promote germination and break dormancy in S. torvum.