Breaking dormancy in Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb seeds: combined effect of scarification treatment and growth medium

Abstract

The combined effect of scarification treatment and the growing medium on the germination and emergence parameters ofEnterolobiumcyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb seeds was evaluated under nursery conditions in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. A fullfactorial experiment was designed with three scarification treatments: 1) mechanical (breaking of the testa with tweezers), 2)thermal (immersion in boiling water for 10 min), and 3) control (without scarification), combined with three growing media: 1)potting mix (peat moss, perlite, vermiculite; 50-25-25), 2) aerobic compost, and 3) bush soil. The results of the study confirm thatscarification, mechanical or thermal, is effective in breaking the physical dormancy of E.cyclocarpum seeds; although, mechanicalscarification promotes higher emergence speed of the seedlings. While growing medium did not significantly affect the seedemergence parameters, we found that thermal scarification combined with bush soil induced a marginally higher emergencepercentage. The study contributes to the knowledge of the real efficiency of pre-germination treatments in E.cyclocarpum seedsunder different cultivation conditions in the nursery.