Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Germination of Seed of <I>Rheum australe</I> D. Don

Abstract

Rheum australe D. Don. Syn R. emodi Wall ex Meissan, locally known as Himalayan rhubarb, rhubarb root, belong to family Polygonaceae. R. australe is an endangered medicinal plant species in Indian Himalaya. Study was conducted to evaluate effect performance of IAA, IBA, NAA and GA₃ at three concentrations viz., 50, 100 and 200 mg/l on in terms of rate of germination of R. australe seeds. Observations were also recorded on days taken for initiation of germination, seed germination percentage, shoot length of the seedlings and number of leaves per seedling. Significantly higher seed germination was recorded in seeds treated with IBA 200 mg/1 followed by NAA (200 mg/l) and GA₃ (l00 and 200 mg/l).