Abstract
Genus Tephrosia (Fabaceae) commonly known as ‘Pila’ in Sri Lanka. Some Tephrosia spp. are used in many traditional therapeutic preparations in Sri Lanka and also in other countries. Increased use of Tephrosia in traditional therapeutic systems has developed a great demand for these species. Thus production of planting materials for commercial cultivation has become a timely requirement. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine suitable propagation systems for four selected Tephrosia spp.; T. purpurea, T. villosa, T. noctiflora and T. pumila. Even though seeds of Tephrosia spp. showed high viability, lower germination percentage was observed on wet filter paper as well as in six different potting media [M0 (Coir: dust: Sand; 1:1:1), M1 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil; 1:1:1), M2 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil: Compost; 1:1:1:1), M3 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil: Compost: Cow dung; 1:1:1:1:1), M4 (Coir dust: Sand: Compost; 1:1:1), M5 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil: Cow dung; 1:1:1:1)] during a period of one week. Water impermeability of seed coats was identified as the main reason for the seed dormancy in Tephrosia spp. and soaking seeds in Con. H2SO4: H2O; 3:1 for 25 minutes and rubbing seeds on sandpaper for 2 minutes were determined as suitable dormancy breaking methods. Variation was observed in the growth performance of Tephrosia spp. in six different potting media. Growth performances of seedlings of Tephrosia spp. in hydroponic solution and soil medium were observed and soil medium was selected as the most suitable medium for the growth of Tephrosia species based on their growth performances. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 9 (2014): 39-45
Highlights
The genus Tephrosia (Vern: Pila) belongs to family Fabaceae and is distributed in warm temperate and tropical areas throughout the world and 10 species are found in Sri Lanka
Seeds of T. purpurea, T. villosa, T. noctiflora and T. pumila were collected from different localities in Sri Lanka
H2SO4: H2O; 3:1 for 25 minutes or rubbed on sandpaper for 2 minutes have exhibited a significantly higher seed germination percentages after a week in different potting media compared to the control
Summary
The genus Tephrosia (Vern: Pila) belongs to family Fabaceae and is distributed in warm temperate and tropical areas throughout the world and 10 species are found in Sri Lanka. Seeds of many species of the family Fabaceae exhibit dormancy which is primarily due to water impermeability of the seed coat (Baskin and Baskin, 2014). Acid scarification is one of the best treatments for seeds with hard, impermeable seed coats (Baskin and Baskin, 2014). The concentrated sulphuric acid treatment has been widely used to improve seed germination of several hard seed coat species (Dole and Wilkins, 1999; Hassen et al, 2005). According to Hassen et al, (2005), scarification by sandpaper appears to be the best method for maximising germination with small amount of seeds whereas immersing the seeds in concentrated sulphuric acid for 20 minutes followed by soaking in water for 24 h is better for large amount of seeds
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