Seed germination and first growth performance of four Sclerocarya birrea (marula) provenances in Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Objective: In Sub-Saharan Africa, high pressure on savanna ecosystems has led to a decline in
plant resources. This work aims to assess germination success by simple pretreatment of
Sclerocarya birrea (marula) seeds from 4 sources in Burkina Faso.
Methodology and Results: Seeds were collected in farmer’s fields, and from goat dung. A
randomized complete block design with three replicates of 24 seeds was adopted. Variance
analysis towards Student Newman and Keuls tests was used to compare growth parameters. There
was no difference in germination success among the provenances of Wayen, Tiogo, Boromo, and
Bondoukuy (p>0.05). Pretreatment influenced germination with higher values for seed that went
through the digestive tract of goats irrespective of provenance. Significant differences among
provenance were found for seedling height and collar diameter after four months’ growth
(p<0.000).
Conclusion and application of results: The study underlines the importance of using pretreatment.
The Wayen provenance should preferably be used in a breeding program for reforestation and
conservation of Sclerocarya birrea.
Keywords: Sclerocarya birrea, germination, plantation, pretreatment, restoration, West Africa.

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