Influence of seed treatment on germination and seedling vigour of Phyllanthus niruri

Phyllanthus niruri of family Euphorbiaceae is a fascinating and scientifically interesting crop due to its pronounced anti-hepatotoxic activity. Recently, Phyllanthus niruri is gaining momentum because of its novel antiviral activity against the dreaded Hepatitis B virus and for several other biological activities. The availability of the plant through natural sources has also diminished considerably due to unscrupulous exploitation, and increase in demand necessiates the cultivation of this crop for obtaining the drug required by the herbal industry. The present experiment investigated seed treatments in Phyllanthus niruri to improve the germination and seedling vigour. The seed treatments comprised chemicals each with two concentrations, GA(3) (200 ppm and 250 ppm), KNO3 (1000 ppm and 2000 ppm) and Thiourea (1000 ppm and 2000 ppm). Treated seeds were incubated for two duration times (6h and 12h). The treated seeds were sown in pots containing three different media viz., soil, sand and pot mixture. Water-soaked seeds were kept as control. The results revealed that seed treatment with GA(3) 200 ppm for 6h and sowing in pot mixture proved to be the best treatment as it was found to record higher germination percentage, reduced the time taken for 50 per cent germination and improved seedling characteristics like shoot and root length and vigour index of the seedling.