Effects of pre-sowing treatments on seed germination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melia azedarach</Emphasis>

A germination experiment of pre-treated seeds of Melia azedarach was conducted in the nursery of Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh. Matured seeds of Melia azedarach were collected from healthy trees of National Botanical Garden, Bangladesh and were treated with five pre-sowing treatments (control, immersion in cold water, immersion in hot water, scarification with sand paper, and immersion in concentrated H₂SO₄) on seed germination. Results revealed that the germination rates of pre-sowing treated seeds were significantly increased compared to those in control, except for cold water treatment. The highest germination success (80%) was found in scarification with sand paper, followed by 74% and 69% in immersion in H₂SO₄ and hot water treatment, respectively. Germination started on 8–11 days and completed on 20–21 days of the germination period in all cases. Analysis of variance showed the significance difference in germination success among the treatments but no significance difference in germination period among the treatment. Hot water treatment may be recommended on seed germination of the species in rural Bangladesh.     

Effects of variation in seed sources and pre-sowing treatments on seed germination of Tamarindus indica: a multi-purpose tree species in Bangladesh

We investigated the morphology and germination of Tamarindus indica seeds in order to discover the effects of variation in seed sources and pre-sowing treatments on germination. The experiment was carried out in the nursery of the Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh. Seeds were collected from different but healthy trees from various locations in Bangladesh and subjected to four pre-sowing treatments, i.e., control, immersion in cold water (4°C for 24 h), immersion in hot water (80°C for 10 min) and scarification with sand paper. Seed germination was carried out in poly-bags with a mixture of topsoil and cow dung in the ratio of 3:1. The average length of the fresh seeds was 1.35±0.26 cm, their width 1.07 ±0.20 cm and thickness 0.69±0.11 cm. The results revealed that pre-sowing treatments affected the germination process of seeds, which significantly increased the germination percentage with the cold water (81.67%) and scarification with sand paper (82.33%) treatments, compared with those in the control (58.33%) and hot water treatment (59.00%). In all treatments germination started on average within 5 to 7 days after the start of the treatments and were completed from 13 to 19 days later. The greatest success in germination (82.33%) was found in scarification with sand paper, followed with 81.67% in the cold water treatment. The results of analyses of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences (p<0.05) in germination closing dates, seed germination periods and germination percentages among the treatments but no significant difference among seed sources. However, the effect of the interaction between seed source variation and pre-treatment differed significantly in seed germination closing dates and germination percentages. We recommend cold water treatment (submersion of seed at a temperature of 4°C for a 24-h period) for seed germination of T. indica in rural Bangladesh.     

播种预处理对苦楝种子萌发的影响

在孟加拉Khulna大学森林和木材技术学科苗圃,调查了预处理的苦楝种子的萌发情况。成熟的苦楝种子采自国家植物园内的健康植株,对种子进行了5 种处理(对照,冷水浸泡,热水浸泡,砂纸破皮和浓硫酸浸泡)。结果表明,除了冷水浸泡外,其它播种预处理的种子萌发率显著高于对照种子。砂纸破皮处理的种子萌发率最高(80%),浓硫酸浸泡和热水浸泡的种子萌发率分别是74%和69%。苦楝种子在第8～11天开始萌发,萌发周期是20～21天。方差分析表明,预处理显著影响种子萌发率,但对萌发周期没有显著影响。推荐用热水浸泡处理种植在孟加拉农村的苦楝种子促进萌发。图2表2参30。     

Pre-sowing treatments for improved germination and growth of two rare native species of Bangladesh

Pre-sowing treatments are expected to increase seed germination. This evaluates response to pre-sowing treatments and the growth performance of two native and rare tree species, Garuga pinnata Roxb. and Vitex glabrata R. Br. The hard seed coats were treated by rubbing with sand paper, nail clipping, and immersion in water and acid (H₂SO₄). Results indicate that G. pinnata showed a 90% germination rate and 30% germination energy when seed coats were nicked with a nail clipper. Rubbing with sand paper was the best pre-sowing treatment for V. glabrata, resulting a 80% germination rate and 30% germination energy. G. pinnata and V. glabrata seedlings from seeds soaked 24 h in water resulted in maximum heights and collar diameters. These were significantly higher (at p < 0.05) than those of other treatments. The results indicate that scarification or nicking of seeds may have some negative impacts on seedling growth. Therefore, it is difficult to recommend a pre-sowing treatment of seeds for achieving both maximum germination and good early seedling growth.     

Effect of different pre-sowing seed treatments on the germination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leucaena leucocephala</Emphasis> (Lam.) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia farnesiana</Emphasis> (L.)

Leucaena leucocephala and Acacia farnesiana are tree species used for several agricultural purposes in the Mediterranean region. The seeds of these species exhibit dormancy, causing delayed germination. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of pre-sowing treatments (scarification, hot water, or soaking) on seed germination of L. leucocephala and A. farnesiana. In one experiment, seeds were exposed to three pre-sowing treatments: control, sandpaper scarification, or soaking in 70°C water for 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 min. In another experiment, seeds were soaked in 70°C water for 20 min, and then soaked in water at room temperature for an additional 24, 48, or 72 h or blade scarified. In general, soaking the seeds of the two species in hot water was more effective in breaking seed dormancy than scarification. Sandpaper scarification was not effective for either species. Blade scarification increased A. farnesiana seed germination to 56%, indicating that seed dormancy was mainly a consequence of hardseededness. L. leucocephala seeds collected from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) site and soaked in 70°C water for 20 min and then soaked for 24, 48, or 72 h had germination rates above 97%. Our results suggest that blade scarification of A. farnesiana seeds and soaking of L. leucocephala seeds in 70°C water for 20 min are effective treatments to break seed dormancy and enhance seed germination of these vital species.     

Effect of pre-sowing treatments on germination and initial seedling development of Albizia saman in the nursery

Albizia saman （Jacq.） F. Muell. commonly known as rain tree seeds were treated with five pre-sowing treatments to study the effect of pre-sowing treatments on germination and initial seedling development in the nursery.The experiment was established in the nursery of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences.University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Results revealed that Nail clipping in one side of the seed （at the distal end of the seed） （T4） provides the highest （50%） seed germination. The second highest germination （42%） was obtained for the seeds treated with immersion in cold water for 24 h （T1）. Germination was completely inhibited when the seeds immersed in boiled water for 30 s followed in cold water soaking for 24 h. Other germination parameter and initial morphological growth and biomass production of the seedlings was also higher for the treatments T4and Ti in comparison to the control （Ta）treatment. Pre-sowing treatments of T4 e.g. Nail clipping in one side of the seed （at the distal end of the seed） and T1 （Seeds immersed in cold water for 24 h） may be recommended for maximum germination and initial vigorous seedlings growth of Albizia sarnan in the nursery.     

Enhancement of seed germination in Macaranga peltata for use in tropical forest restoration

We used pre-sowing treatments v/z., soaking seeds in concen- trated sulphudc acid （CSA）, gibberellic acid （GA）, combined treatment of CSA ＋ GA and mechanical scarification to overcome seed dormancy and enhance synchronous germination of Macaranga peltata seeds. We analysed percent seed germination data by logistic regression and con- finned that except in GA treatment, time and acid concentration together were crucial for enhancing germination. The combination treatment of CSA and GA resulted in higher percent germination （up to 74%） than either treatment used separately, but produced defective seedlings （26%）. Mechanical scarification of seed coat had the greatest impact in enhanc- ing germination （78%） and reducing imbibition time （6 days） against the control （0%）. Germination studies and SEM analysis confirmed that seed germination in M. peltata was inhibited by seed coat dormancy.     

雨豆树播种前预处理对种子发芽和种苗发育的影响

播种前对雨豆树(Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. Muell.)的种子进行了5 种预先处理,研究种子预先处理对种子发芽和苗圃种苗发育的影响。实验是在孟加拉吉大港大学林业与环境研究所的苗圃进行。研究结果表明,在种子末端修剪(处理4)提高种子发芽率50%,在冷水中浸泡24 小时(处理1)提高种子发芽率42%,在开水中浸30 秒后再在冷水中浸泡24 小时(处理2),种子发芽完全被抑制。处理4 和处理1 的种子发芽率、种苗初期形态生长和生物量都明显高于对照组。因此,这2 种播种前的种子预处理方法,可用于提高雨豆树种子发芽率和促进早期壮苗生长。图2 表3 参30。     

Effect of different seed treatments on dormancy breaking and germination in three species in arid and semi-arid lands

Seeds of many woody plant species have one of several types of dormancy. They do not germinate unless specific environmental signals are in place or events occur. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of scarification treatments on seed dormancy and germination of Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Del., Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. and Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq. The following treatments were applied: T1, untreated seed (control); T2, sulphuric acid (97%) for 45 min; T3, boiling water for 5 min. The seeds were cultured on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium after sterilization. The responses of seeds to treatments were compared with each other and with the control treatment. Germination was observed daily for a 30-day period. Results indicated positive responses to treatments, while impermeable seed coats may be responsible for low germination rates in intact seeds as seen experimentally in the untreated control. The highest germination was obtained for P. juliflora and D. viscosa acid-scarified seeds (80.8%-90.8%) and for scarified seeds of A. nilotica (50.2%) boiled in water. The germination indices, i.e., final germination percentage (FG), mean daily germination (MDG) and germination rate (GR), were significantly affected by treatments and species (p<0.01).     

Effects of different treatments on seed germination and breaking seed dormancy of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prosopis koelziana</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prosopis Juliflora</Emphasis>

For improving seed germination of Prosopis koelziana and Prosopis juliflora, different treatments of seeds were conducted, including scarification with sulfuric acid 98% for 10 and 15 min, sandy paper, hot water for 5 and 10 min, potasium nitrate 0.1%, gibberellic acid at 250 mg·L⁻¹ and 500 mg·L⁻¹ and combinational treatment of scarification with gibberellic acid of 250 mg·L⁻¹ and 500 mg·L⁻¹. The results show that scarifications with sandy paper and sulfuric acids 98% were the most effective treatments on breaking seed dormancy and seed germination induction. Scarification with sulfuric acid 98% for 15 min was the best treatment. According to the positive effect of scarification and lack of reaction of seeds against KNO₃ and gibberellic acid, the kind of seed dormancy was determined as exogenous.     

The effect of different pre-sowing seed treatments, temperature and light on the germination of five Senna species from Ethiopia

The germination requirements of five Senna species: S. bicapsularis, S. didymobotrya, S. multiglandulosa, S. occidentalis and S. septemtrionalis have been investigated. Seeds possess dormancy which is caused by their hard seed coats hampering maximum, uniform and rapid germination. To overcome this dormancy, seeds of the five species were pre-treated with (a) mechanical scarification, (b) concentrated sulphuric acid for 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes and (c) boiling water for 15, 30, 45 and 60 seconds. To determine the effects of temperature on the germination of seeds, pre-treated seeds from each species were incubated at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. Germination was also tested in the dark. Both acid treatment and mechanical scarification resulted in fast and uniform germination. The highest germination (95–100%) for all species was obtained from seeds treated with sulphuric acid for 60 minutes. Mechanical scarification resulted in 100% germination in all the species except S. septemtrionalis (59%). Boiling water improved germination significantly in S. didymobotrya (98%), S. occidentalis (82%) and S. septemtrionalis (97%), but had very little effect on S. multiglandulosa and reduced germination in S. bicapsularis. Senna seeds germinated over a wide range of temperatures with the optimum temperatures for germination falling around 20–25°C. Germination was either completely inhibited or very low at 10°C. Seeds of all species germinated both in light and dark conditions.     

Germination ecology of twelve indigenous and eight exotic multipurpose leguminous species from Ethiopia

The germination requirements of seeds of 20 leguminous species were studied in three experiments. In the first experiment, seeds were subjected to mechanical scarification, sulphuric acid and boiling water treatments. In the second experiment, they were treated with dry heat at 60, 80 and 100°C. In the third experiment, seeds were placed at different temperature regimes (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C) on a thermogradient. Sulphuric acid treatment improved germination in all the species while mechanical scarification improved germination in 18 out of 20 species. Boiling water treatment improved germination in 15 species but proved to be lethal to five species. Similarly, germination was significantly improved in 11 out of 16 species treated with dry heat. Germination was faster and higher at both 25°C and 30°C and the optimum temperature for germination was between 20°C and 30°C for all the species. Mechanical scarification, sulphuric acid and boiling water treatments as well as dry heat were effective to overcome seed coat imposed dormancy in the species studied. It was not possible to recommend a treatment which is equally effective for all the species. However, boiling water is a practical method for achieving rapid, uniform and high germination except in five of the species for which it proved to be lethal. In the latter case, either mechanical scarification or sulphuric acid treatment should be used. Seeds of Millettia ferruginea should be sown when they are fresh to get high germination as they tend to lose their viability during storage. Results from the present study show that once the dormancy in leguminous species with hard seed coats is broken, the seeds germinate in wide ranges of temperature.     

Seed Sources and Pre-Treatment Effects on the Emergence of Velvet Tamarind (Dialium guineense Willd) Seedlings

The study assessed the effects of seed sources and pretreatments on the germination of Dialium guineense Willd. Seeds were collected from four sources in Nigeria: Ijebu-Ode, Iperu, Odogbolu, and Moniya. Six hundred seeds from each progeny were weighed to determine differences in seed weight. Seeds were pretreated using six treatments: control, soaking in water at 90°C and allowing to cool overnight, soaking in water at room temperature, soaking in concentrated sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) for 5 min, 10 min, and 15 min represented as T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄, T₅, and T₆, respectively. Thirty seeds were assigned to each treatment with three replicates for all the seed sources studied. Seeds were sown in germination trays containing washed-sterilized river sand and set under high humidity propagator. Germination counts were taken daily until no further germination took place for 7 d. In all the progeny sources studied, T₆ gave the highest mean germination percentage of 59.2 followed by T₅ (57.5), T₄ (35.8), T₂ (21.7), T₁ (8.3), while T₃ gave the lowest value of 6.7. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences at p ≤ .05 in seed weight, mean germination percentage among seed sources, and treatments. Velvet tamarind has inherent seed coat dormancy that can be removed by pretreatment with concentrated H₂SO₄ for 10 and 15 min.     

The influence of heat and mechanical scarification on the germination capacity of Quercus pyrenaica seeds

The germination capacity of Quercus pyrenaica seeds subjected to different temperatures (60°C, 100°C and 150°C for 1 and 5 minutes) and mechanical scarification was studied. Germination increased after mechanical scarification and heat treatment at 60°C for 1 minute. Germination percentages for the rest of the treatments were lower than those for the control, but statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were only observed between 150°C for 5 minutes and the other treatments (except for 150°C for 1 minute). These results show that seed germination of Quercus pyrenaica would not be affected by soil temperatures reached during a low intensity fire or by the action of agents which can mechanically damage the external coat.     

Effect of thermal pretreatment on germination of seeds from different provenances of subalpine oriental spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) forest in Turkey

We examined the effect of thermal treatment at two temperatures (60 s of 90°C dry heat and 60 min in 40°C hot water) versus control conditions on the germination of oriental spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) seeds originating from different subalpine provenances. Cutting test results showed that there was wide variation (between 10% and 90%) in filled seed rates. The results revealed that highest germination yield was attained via the hot water treatment. The maximum germination percentages were observed in seeds from “tree 3” in the first tree collective of provenances 1 (85.33 ± 5.77 control; 88.67 ± 7.02 via the hot water treatment; 82.00 ± 10.58 via the dry heat treatment) and 3 (70.67 ± 17.24 control; 88.00 ± 4.00 via the hot water treatment; 86.67 ± 11.37 via the dry heat treatment). The mean germination percentages were significantly different (p-value < .05): percentage values were 32.57% in provenance 1, 23.22% in provenance 3, 12.25% in provenance 4, and 2.82% in provenance 2. Mean germination time of seeds from different provenances and experiencing various pretreatments showed significant variation. The best pretreatment increase in germination rates was achieved via the wet heat method (60 min in 40°C hot water).     

浸泡和冷预处理对喜马拉雅长叶松不同种源种子萌发的作用

对喜马拉雅长叶松种子进行24小时GA3和H2O2浸泡预处理和15d的2-3℃低温预处理后,研究了在20℃,25℃和30℃萌发条件下,21个不同种源的喜马拉雅长叶松种子的萌发情况。结果表明,H2O2（1%v/v）和GA3（10mg/L）浸泡预处理,种子萌发率分别是82.39%和78.19%,而未经预处理的种子平均萌发率为70.79%。GA3和H2O2浸泡预处理分别使种子萌发时间缩短了8d和10d。在超过21天的20℃萌发条件下,湿冷处理提高了种子萌发率和缩短了萌发时间 而在25℃和30℃萌发条件下,总的萌发率未受到影响。喜马拉雅长叶松种子因缺少休眠而表现出很好的萌发,但是因为越来越多的造林项目需要大量的种子,播种预处理有利于提高种子萌发率和萌发速率,有助于满足种子需求。     

印度,孟加拉西部的Terai地区的大叶合欢预处理及标准化豆荚采集时间和豆荚长度

在孟加拉西部的Pundibari地区,研究在4个采集（豆荚）时间,3个采集豆荚长度（〈10cm,10-20cm和〉20cm）,以及进行的13种预处理对大叶合欢种苗生长和萌发率的影响。豆荚采集时间为2月19日,且没有任何预处理,大叶合欢种子萌发率为92.5%。这明确表明,在2月19日采集的种子具有非休眠,有活力和生理成熟的特性。从长度为10-20 cm豆荚剥离出的种子,2月19日播种,种苗生长良好。利用硫脲预处理种子后,种子的萌发率并没有表现出明显提高,但是当利用低浓度硫脲（100 μL&#183;L-1）预处理种子后,有利于种苗生长。     

Provenance and pretreatment effect on seed germination of six provenances of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Faidherbia albida</Emphasis> (Delile) A. Chev

A nursery experiment was conducted to determine the effects of seed pretreatment methods on the germination of Faidherbia albida at ICRAF, Nairobi from six provenances consisting of Awassa, Taveta, Lake Koka, Maseno, Chinzombo and Wagingombe. Seeds were subjected to five pretreatment methods namely nicking, soaking in acid, hot water, cold water and control. Germination percentages (GP), mean germination time (MGT) and germination index (GI) were calculated and the data was subjected to ANOVA. The study revealed significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences in seed treatments among provenances in all studied parameters. Highest germination among pretreatments in Awassa (99 %) and Wagingombe (80 %) was observed in nicked seeds, Chinzombo (81 %) in nicked and acid treated seeds, Lake Koka (90 %) in acid treated seeds and Taveta (28 %) and Maseno (64 %) in cold water treated seeds. Nicking gave the highest cumulative GP (69.67) while lowest GP was observed in hot water treated seeds (23.17). Acid treatment exhibited lowest MGT (8.85 days) and highest GI (2.29) while highest MGT (24.35 days) and lowest GI (0.31) were observed in control and hot water treatment respectively. Although acid treatment gave a high GP and lowest MGT and GI, nicking and soaking in cold water for 24 h is being recommended as cheaper and less hazardous pretreatment methods to improve germination in F. albida since sulphuric acid is expensive and requires proper handling techniques. Significant correlation between geo-climatic data and germination parameters of seeds subjected to different pretreatments indicates that provenances are as important as pretreatments in germination of the species.     

An evaluation of scarification methods for seeds of two leguminous trees

Twenty different methods of seedcoat scarification were tested on Gleditsia triacanthos L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L. to find an alternative to acid scarification for these species. For germination testing, nicking or burning were best, and these same methods could be used in small nurseries with adequate labor. For larger quantities, hot water soaks or heat shock soak treatments yielded satisfactory, though lower, germination.     

Breaking seed dormancy in Cupressus atlantica Gaussen, an endemic and threatened coniferous tree in Morocco

Cupressus atlantica Gaussen (Cupressaceae) is an endemic and endangered coniferous tree geographically restricted to the N’Fis valley in South-Western Morocco. Like many forest species, C. atlantica exhibits dormancy which delays and reduces germination. To improveseed germination, different pre-treatments were conducted on C.atlantica seeds after storage for different periods (one, two and five years) including: scarification with sandy paper; soaking seeds in hot distilled water at 60℃and 80℃for 15 min and soaking seeds for 48 h in agibberellic acid (GA3) at 1,000 and 2,000 mg·L-1. Results showed that scarification with sandy paper increased the germination rate of Atlas cypress by up to 67%, indicating that the species possess essentially anexogenous dormancy (physical dormancy) due to the hard seed coat(hardseededness). Exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA3) at1,000 mg·L-1 was also effective in breaking seed dormancy and germination induction. These two treatments induced faster speed germination expressed by low number of days to first germination (8 10days) and low values of mean germination times (MGT). However,germination rate, under any treatment, is greatly dependent on the year of seed collection. Seeds collected in year 2004 gave the highest value,suggesting that even after five years of storage, the germination capacity of C. atlantica seeds could remain high. This observation is very interesting in the exsitu conservation of such endemic and endangered species where the production of seeds is irregular over the years.