‘Seed balls’ are prepared by non-governmental organizations and enthusiastic school children to trees grow trees rapidly for ecosystem restoration. However, there is immense scope for technically improving the seed balls by ensuring the quality of seeds as well as media; further preparing cuboid structures, instead of ball like structure has immense scope in facilitating rooting of the newly emerging seedlings. Against this back drop, a series of experiments were conducted to standardize the seed coating technique, seed priming method and appropriate media for making seed cubes. The results showed that coating of Albizia lebbeck seeds with TNAU seed coating formulation @ 3g kg-1 can increase the seed germination percentage and vigour index percentage by 24 and 134 percentage over the control. Similarly humid priming of Albizia lebbeck seeds (24 h soaking in water + 3 days humid incubation) also resulted in significant improvement in seed germination and vigour index to the tune of 32 and 136 percentage over the control. Seeds which were thus enhanced by seed coating and humid priming where enclosed in four different types of cube media. The results revealed that media composed of soil, saw dust, bone meal, vermicompost and VAM recorded the highest seed germination percentage and dry matter production over other media compositions. The control seeds could record only 20 percent of seed germination while coated and primed seeds enclosed in above media composition recorded 62 percent. The new and improved seed cube technology holds immense scope to ensure rapid propagation of Albizia lebbeck trees in fallow lands or cultivable lands. | Development of seed cube technology with enhanced seeds of Albizia lebbeck for rapid propagation in fallow lands
