Germination performance of <i>Dacryodes edulis</i> (don. G. Lam h. J.) seeds from dry and moist heat softened fruits

Abstract

The study was designed to assess the germination performance of seeds from moist heat and dry heat softened fruits of D. edulis. Ripe fruits were harvested from mother trees and mixed together to mute any effects due to genotype and subjected to two heat treatments: forty-eight fruits were soaked in warm water at 57^oC in the moist heat treatment, while a total of twenty fruits were placed on cooling hotplate at (54^oC) in the dry heat treatment. Seeds were propagated in clear polythene bags 0.1 mm thick and 100 x 150 mm dimension at 26^oC room temperature in a completely randomized design experimental layout. Data collected include: number of days before germination, germination count, total number of germinated seed, and duration of germination. While germination characteristics evaluated were: dormancy period, mean germination speed, mean daily germination, mean germination time, and germination capacity. Data analysis was carried out using Mann-Whitney U-test after a normality test confirmed data was non-normal. The results showed that dormancy period in seeds from dry heat softened fruits was 9 days and moist heat softened fruits 10 days: seeds from moist heat softened fruits however recorded higher mean germination speed (4 seed), germination capacity (100 %), mean daily germination (3 seeds), and lower mean germination time (8 days): while seeds from dry heat softened fruits recorded lower mean germination speed (0.33), germination capacity (55%), mean daily germination (1 seed), and higher meangermination time. There was a significant difference in germination performance of the two heat treatment methods. Dry heat penetrating D. edulis seed reduced the germination performance.

Keywords: germination characteristics, propagation