Abstract: Sodium percarbonate, a new disinfectant, has been widely used in the sterilization and cleaning of objects, but has not been reported in the surface sterilization of plant seeds and explants. In this study, tobacco seeds were used to study the effects of three sterilizing agents, including sodium percarbonate, sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride, on the seed surface sterility and their effects on seed germination and plant growth. Tobacco seeds were treated with 4.0% aqueous solution of sodium percarbonate (active oxygen content ≥0.54%) for 20-40 min and then inoculated directly onto MS medium for germination and growth. While the other two groups were sterilized separately with 33.3% sodium hypochlorite solution (active chlorine content ≥1.65%) for 10 min and 0.1% aqueous solution of mercury for 4 min, then cleaned for 5 times with sterile water and inoculated on the same medium. The results showed that 90% of seeds germinated and no plantlet was contaminated, indicating that the three methods were effectively. The seeds germinated fast and the plantlets grew well by sodium percarbonate and sodium hypochlorite treatments, and the group of sodium percarbonate treatment was slightly better than that of sodium hypochlorite. However, mercury delayed seed germination and inhibited plant growth. In addition, sodium percarbonate eliminates the need for cleaning after sterilization, exhibiting a great advantage. This study established a new method for tobacco seed surface sterilization, which provides a reference for the sterilization of other plants seeds and explants, showing very practical value.