Abstract
Detarium microcarpum Guill and Perr is a multipurpose tree species indigenous to semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is being exploited to local extinction due to high dependence for fuelwood and other uses. The present study explored different pre-treatment methods for enhancing seed germination and growth of D. microcarpum in the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana. The experiment employed a 4 × 4 factorial design with seeds subjected to four pre-treatments (50% sulphuric acid concentration, 98% sulphuric acid concentration, cold water and hot water) at four pre-treatment time durations. Percentage germination varied significantly between pre-treatments (p < 0.05) with cold water treatment recording the highest mean germination (73.06%) and the 98% sulphuric acid concentration recording the least (47.72%). Germination rate had a moderate positive relationship with plant height (rxy = 0.49) and collar diameter (rxy = 0.54). The study recommends seed immersion in cold water for 48 h as the most efficient pre-treatment for D. microcarpum. Key words: Detarium microcarpum, germination percentage, plant height, pre-treatment.
Highlights
Detarium microcarpum is a perennial woody plant indigenous to the semi-arid regions of Sub Saharan Africa which occurs predominantly in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo (Oibiokpa et al, 2014)
Percentage seed germination varied significantly between pre-treatment methods (P < 0.05) with cold water treatment recording the highest mean percentage germination of 73.06% while seed soaking in 98% sulphuric acid resulted in the lowest germination (46.72%)
The study concludes that both pre-treatment method and duration of treatment have significant effects on the germination and growth performance of D. microcarpum
Summary
Detarium microcarpum is a perennial woody plant indigenous to the semi-arid regions of Sub Saharan Africa which occurs predominantly in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo (Oibiokpa et al, 2014). D. microcarpum thrives in a wide variety of soils including degraded and rocky areas with annual rainfall of about 600-1000 mm (Abreu et al, 1999). It is commonly found in fallow lands and wild bushes, it is sometimes retained on farmlands for soil improvement, fuelwood, food and medicinal purposes (Oibiokpa et al, 2014). According to FAO (1995), D. microcarpum is a leguminous tree species which improves soil fertility when retained on farmlands through nitrogen fixation and leaf litter decomposition. The edible fruits of D. microcarpum are consumed by human and wild animals in regions where the species is found (Akpata and Miachi, 2001)
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