%0 Journal Article
%T The Effect of Seed Sources Variation and Presowing Treatments on the Seed Germination of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus Species in Bangladesh
%A Niamjit Das
%J International Journal of Forestry Research
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/984194
%X The seed germination of seed sources and presowing treatments of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus seeds were conducted in the nursery of Bangladesh Agricultural University. The seeds were collected from matured and healthy trees from four different locations in Bangladesh and treated with six presowing methods. The germination test was conducted in polybags with a mixture of topsoil and cow dung in a ratio of 3£¿:£¿1. The results of ANOVA showed no significant differences among seed sources but statistically significant differences among the presowing treatments for both species. Thus the presowing methods affected the germination process of seeds, and then the highest germination success was found to be 91.26% in hot water (80¡ãC for 10£¿min), treatment in Acacia catechu and the highest germination success (89.81%) of Elaeocarpus floribundus was found in H2SO4 treatment followed by 86.35% and 78.42% in treatments with hot water (100¡ãC for 12£¿min) and scarification. The study also revealed that the interactions between seed source variation and presowing methods effect significantly differed in seed germination percentages. Therefore, it is concluded that hot water treatment can be suggested on seed germination of both species for developing nurseries and rural Bangladesh. 1. Introduction Seeds provide the most natural resources of plant reproduction, preservation of genetic variability, transportation, and propagation of flora. Though, viable seeds do not germinate even under favorable environmental conditions for many cases; this phenomenon is termed seed dormancy [1]. Several internal factors cause dormancy which includes seed coat, embryo, or inhibitors, which influence the seed germination rate [2]. To overcome these factors, different pretreatment methods have to be adjusted to individual species and seed lots depending on the type of plant species and dormancy. Physical dormancy is caused due to water-resistant seed coat or fruit enclosure which stops imbibition and sometimes also gaseous exchange. It may be overcome either by pretreatment methods of scarification of the seed coat by piercing, nicking, clipping, filing, or burning with the aid of knife, needle, hot wire burner, or abrasion paper [3]; by hot water treatment [4, 5]; or by acid treatment [4]. Acacia catechu Willd. (locally known as Khair), a member of the family Mimosaceae, is a medium sized deciduous tree which grows up to 15£¿m in height. The brown, beaked seed pods of A. catechu are 50¨C125£¿mm long on a short stalk and contain between four and seven seeds, which are dark
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/2014/984194/