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A laboratory study was conducted to know the influence of 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid (CEPA) (Ethrel or Ethephon) on dormant virginia runner and virginia bunch type cultivars of groundnut. There were 10 genotypes (5 virginia runner and 5 virginia bunch) and six treatments replicated thrice in a two factorial CRD. The six treatments include water soaking of seeds for I hour (T₁), spraying of CEPA on seeds soaked in water for 1 hour (T₂), soaking of seeds in CEPA for one hour (T₃), 3 hours (T₄), 6 hours (T₅) and 12 hours periods (T₆). Among the different treatments tested T₅ (soaking of seeds in CEPA for 6 hours followed by three hours of shade drying period) recorded maximum mean germination percentage (24, 30 and 70 %) and seedling vigour index (0, 13.1 and 147.77) at 24, 48 and 72 hours after treatment respectively. At 72 hours after treatment soaking of seeds in CEPA for 6 hours had shown significantly highest reducing sugars (2.32) and total soluble proteins (28.2). Starch (63.5) and lipid content (33.1) at the same time period was observed to be decreased irrespective of the cultivars.

Key words: Groundnut, Seed dormancy, Ethrel, 2-Chloroethyl phosphonic acid, Dormancy breaking.