Impact of irrigation regimes on regeneration and growth of Prosopis cineraria in arid areas of Indian Thar

An experiment was initiated in 2008 to evaluate the impact of irrigation regimes on germination and growth patterns of seedlings of Prosopis cineraria in the arid areas of Thar, India. Seeds collected from dried pods of P. cineraria were sown in polybags placed in nursery beds. Different irrigation regimes were provided to different beds and data regarding germination and growth were recorded to study natural regeneration. The study revealed that irrigation regimes significantly affected the germination and growth of P. cineraria under nursery conditions. The germination rate declined as the irrigation regime shifted from a daily to a fortnightly basis. Height of the seedlings also declined with a decrease in the intensity of irrigation. Thus, it can be concluded that germination and growth of seedlings of P. cineraria under nursery conditions can be enhanced by providing irrigation at regular intervals.