In 9 cv. of groundnut seeds of bunch types were non-dormant while the spreading and semi-spreading types had prolonged dormancy. A tightly attached seed coat delayed seed germination, and its removal enhanced germination in some cv. Application of 0.1 mg GA3/l increased germination percentage, but was only effective after 1 wk of seed dormancy when applied in conjunction with seed coat removal. When seeds were soaked in 100-10 000 p.p.m. chlormequat, germination was partially inhibited in non-dormant seeds and could be reversed by the application of 200 p.p.m. GA3. The role of seed coat, GA3 and chlormequat in seed dormancy is discussed