INTRODUCTION Neoza has aptly been described as the Champion of the Species of Rocky Mountains as it grows under difficult and harsh conditions prevailing in the inner Himalayas. It is the pioneer tree species for its inhabiting region (cold and arid conditions) and also gains significance in checking soil erosion. Its distribution is quite sparse in the world and is confined to mountainous regions of eastern Afganistan, parts of Pakistan and with scattered occurance in the valleys of Northern Pre-sowing Treatments and Germination Behavior of Pinus gerardiana Wall- An Endangered Bio-resource of Dry Temperate Region R. Banyal Faculty of Forestry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Benhama (Jammu & Kashmir) E. mail:drbanyal08@gmail.com ABSTRACT The objective of study was to ascertain the appropriate and effective physical and chemical pre-sowing treatments given to chilgoza (Pinus girardiana) seeds to have better seed seedling ratio with quality attributes. Eleven pre-sowing treatments including six stratification periods of 15 days intervals were tested in completely randomized block design. The study revealed that significantly higher germination per centage (88.46%), capacity (85.00%) and energy (70.00%) was reported under outdoor stratification done for 45 days o with 19-24 C temperate regime. The hierarchical order of the effect of pre-sowing treatments reported to be as stratification > BAP (2000ppm) > gibberlic acid (2000ppm) > gibberlic acid (2000ppm) + dilute H SO > perchloric acid > gibberlic acid (1000ppm) + dilute 2 4 H SO > gibberlic acid (1000ppm) > hydrogen sulphide > hydrogen 2 4 peroxide > hot water > cold water. Application of 2000 ppm BAP proved best among the growth and chemical treatments with higher value of germination per centage (72.00%) over rest of the tested similar pre-sowing treatment. The study also revealed that the chemical pre-sowing treatment namely hydrogen peroxide gave minimum (60.00%) germination percent value among all the tested chemical treatments. The present study recommends that the physical pre-sowing treatment as stratification done for 45 days (OD) and BAP (2000ppm) are the only treatments which proven best for getting the higher germination in stipulated period besides getting quality planting material of such economical and threatened bio- resource of dry temperate region of the North Western Himalayas. Volume 29 No.1&2 June & December, 2010 Journal of Tree Sciences Print : ISSN 0970-7662 online available at www.ists.in Volume 29 No.1&2, 2010 INDIAN SOCIETY OF TREE SCIENTISTS Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan Himachal Pradesh Pin - 173230 (INDIA) website : www.ists.in Journal of Tree Sciences International Jounal of Research and Development in Tree Sciences and Enviornmental Conservation Keywords: Bio-resource, chilgoza, dry temperate region, germination, Pinus gerardiana, pre-sowing treatments, stratification 21