Nutritional food content of seed and effects of five different growing media on the seed germination and seedling growth of <i>Afzelia africana</i> SM Caesalpiniaceae

Abstract

Nutritional food content of seed and effect of five different growing media: Top forest soil (TS), sawdust (SD), 2:1 mixture of; TS+SD, TS+composted poultry manure (TS+PM) and 2:1:1 mixture of TS+SD+PM on the seed germination and seedling growth of Afzelia Africana SM Caesalpiniaceae were investigated. Thirteen chemical food nutrients were detected in the species seed. These occurred in varying percentages. The mixed growing media (2:1:1 mixture of TS+SD+PM, 2:1 mixture of TS+SD and TS+PM) consistently had: higher percentages of: water holding capacity and nitrogen than the single media (TS and SD). Shorter periods of initial and final seed germination were achieved when seeds were sown in the mixed growing media than in the single growing media. The highest percentage seed germination (87.4%) was achieved when seeds were sown in 2:1:1 mixture of TS+SD+PM growing medium, while the poorest percentage seed germination (30.5%) was obtained when seeds were sown in the TS growing medium, the control. Comparatively, the mixed media induced higher percentage seed germination responses than the single growing media. After four weeks growth in the nursery, values of seedling growth parameters showed that seedlings grown in the mixed growing media had better growth attributes than seedlings grown for the same period in the single media. The results also showed that the best growth attributes were developed by seedlings grown in 2:1:1 mixture of TS+SD+PM (mean: Seedling height 22.4cm., number of leaves, 22 and mean leaf area 120.6cm2).

Keywords: Afzelia Africana, seed nutrient content, growing media, seed germination, and seedling growth attributes