Dose-Dependent Effects of Sodium Azide on Seed Germination, Seedling Survival, and Vegetative Growth Traits in Pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. ‘Bhagwa’)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. ‘Bhagwa’) has a relatively narrow genetic base, necessitating the development of novel genetic variability for crop improvement. The present study was conducted at the ICAR–National Research Centre on Pomegranate, Solapur, India, to evaluate the effects of sodium azide (SA) on seed germination, seedling survival, and early vegetative growth traits, and to identify a biologically effective working dose for mutation breeding in pomegranate. Freshly harvested seeds of cv. Bhagwa were treated with ten sodium azide concentrations (1–10 mM) for 1, 2, and 3 h in a Completely Randomized Design with three replicates of 25 seeds each. Significant treatment effects were observed for seed germination, seedling survival, plant height, and secondary branches. The mean germination percentages were 73.91%, 72.73%, and 74.36% at 1, 2 and 3 h of exposure, respectively, while the corresponding seedling survival percentages were 75.91%, 71.30%, and 67.87%. Plant height varied considerably among treatments, indicating differential growth responses to mutagen exposure. Seedling survival after 2 h of exposure declined from 76.98% in the control to 60.18% at 5 mM SA, indicating moderate biological injury while maintaining adequate viability. Based on overall biological responses and population survival, 5 mM sodium azide for 2 h was identified as a biologically effective working dose for mutation breeding in pomegranate cv. ‘Bhagwa’.

Shankar R. Bhosale1-2, Shilpa Parashuram3, M. N. Jagtap*4, A. R. Girme5, T. H. Daphale6 and R. A. Marathe7 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 29-Jun-2026