Improved Seed Germination Technique for Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce: A Rare Sacred Plant of Hindus

In nature, there are some seeds that can’t germinate properly, even if environmental conditions are favourable. This condition is known as seed dormancy. In the case of _Prosopis cineraria_ (L.) Druce, the common reason for seed dormancy is the toughness of the seed coat. This type of dormancy is known as physical dormancy (PY). This experiment is conducted to determine the efficiency of different seed priming methods on the seed germination of the Shami plant. The seed priming methods include hydropriming followed by mechanical scarification, lukewarm water, hot water, and sulphuric acid treatments. Five seeds are selected for each treatment to carry out the germination. Then the data for germination percentage is collected one week after planting (WAP). In this study, hydropriming followed by mechanical scarification showed the highest observed germination percentage. However, given the small sample size, further validation is required. It is interesting to reveal that under full exposure to sunlight, the leaflets remain closed in the case of the juvenile Shami plant. This adaptation may be ascribed to resisting water loss by the juvenile plant.