Cultivar Type and Nut-Sowing Orientation Influence Germination and Plant Vigor in Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)

Abstract

The germination of cashew nuts and the quantitative plant vigor of the seedlings as influenced by small, medium, and large Indian and Brazilian cashew cultivars and five nut-sowing orientations (nut-side/side-positioning, stalk-end facing up, stalk-end facing down, scar-end facing up, and scar-end facing down) were investigated. The results of data collected on percentage germination, stem girth (cm), plant height (cm), number of leaves, leaf area (cm2), and dry matter yield showed that genotype and nut-sowing orientations significantly influence percentage germination (P < 0.05). Brazilian cultivars with medium nuts, irrespective of sowing orientations, had better germination than other genotypes. Brazilian cultivars with large nuts sown on nut-side and Indian cultivars with medium nuts sown on nut-side and with stalk-end up had germination percentage ranging between 86.7% and 100% at 4 weeks after sowing (WAS), while Brazilian cultivars with large nuts, Indian cultivars with medium and small nuts sown with scar-end down, and Indian small with stalk-end down had the lowest germination percentage of between 26.7% and 46.7%. The Brazilian cultivars with large and medium nuts both sown on the nut-side and stalk-end up produced higher dry matter yield of between 6.9 and 7.4 g/plant, while Indian cultivars with small nuts, in all sowing orientations, produced the least dry matter yield of between 0.73 and 2.5 g/plant. This empirical information will guide the farmers in the selection of planting materials and seed propagation for the successful establishment of cashew plantations with healthy and vigorous seedlings.