Improving seed germination of four savanna-woodland species: effects of fire-related cues and prolonged soaking in sulphuric acid.
- Open Access Repository of ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) , 26 : 16-21
Résumé
A study was carried out to\ninvestigate the effects of fire related cues (heat and smoke) and sulphuric acid treatments on the germination\nof four woody savanna species, namely, Terminalia avicennioides, Piliostigma thonningii, Piliostigma reticulatum\nand Prosopis africana. The heat treatment consisted of putting seeds in a preheated oven at 100, 150 and 200 ?C\nfor 2.5 min. Seeds were then soaked in four concentrations of smoke solution (0 (tap water), 25, 50 and\n100% smoke solutions). Parallel to smoke and heat treatment, seeds of the four species were each soaked in\nconcentrated sulphuric acid for 2 hours and also according to the conventional soaking time of each species.\nUnder experimental conditions, heat and smoke did not stimulate seed germination. For P. thonningii and P.\nafricana, soaking seeds for 2 hours in sulphuric acid significantly increased germination capacity compared\nwith conventional soaking time of 5 min. Longer soaking time reduced mean germination time. Results of\nthis study will be useful in the establishment of these species.
Mots-clés
seed germination, fire cues, heat treatment (food and biological processing), smoke treatment, seed dormancy, Terminalia avicennioides, Piliostigma thonningii, Piliostigma reticulatum, Prosopis africana, germination time