Abstract
Viable seed sometimes fails to germinate under favourable conditions. The study assessed the germination of Picralima nitida (Stapf) seeds following pretreatments. Fruits were collected from Benin, Southern Nigeria (lat. 6 0 23 1 N and long. 5 0 13 1 E). The seeds were extracted manually and processed for sowing. Seeds were pretreated using ten pretreatment methods: control; soaking in water at 90 0 C and allowing to cool overnight; soaking in water at room temperature; seeds which coats were manually removed; soaking in concentrated sulphuric acid (H 2SO 4) for 1min; 2mins; and 5mins; and soaking in primarily recycled H 2SO 4 for 2mins, 5mins and 10mins. One hundred seeds were assigned to each treatment and replicated in two locations of Akungba (lat. 7 0 28 1 N and long. 5 0 46 1 E) and Ibadan (lat. 7 0 24 1 N and long. 3 0 49 1 E). Seeds were sown in germination trays containing washed-sterilized river sand in the screen house. Germination counts were taken daily. P. nitida exhibited “durian-epigeal” germination, seeds which coats were manually removed were the first batch to germinate 17 and 22 days after sowing (DAS) in Ibadan and Akungba respectively. The highest germination percentage of 100 in Ibadan and 84 in Akungba were obtained among this batch. Seeds soaked in water at room temperature gave 86% germination in Akungba and 63% in Ibadan. Seeds soaked in water at 90 0 C, and primarily recycled H2SO 4 acid for 10mins did not germinate for 106days. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences at P ≤0.05 in treatment and location effects. Mean germination percentage of seeds which coats were removed was significantly different from other treatments. The inherent dormancy in P. nitida seed can be treated by manually removing the seed coat before sowing.
Highlights
Seeds are genetic materials that carry heritable traits across generational boundaries. Evans and Turnbull (2004) submitted that seeds are expensive, scarce and precious
Seeds soaked in hot water at 900C and water at room temperature airdried in the laboratory for one hour before sowing while the ones in acid were thoroughly rinsed with water to remove any trace of acid and later air-dried for about one hour before sowing
Total In Akungba, seeds which coats were manually removed were the first set to germinate at 22 days after sowing (DAS), this was followed by seeds soaked in conc
Summary
Seeds are genetic materials that carry heritable traits across generational boundaries. Evans and Turnbull (2004) submitted that seeds are expensive, scarce and precious. Picralima nitida (Stapf) is a medicinal plant with diverse end-uses (Keay, 1989); extracts from its seeds, fruit rind and stem bark demonstrated anti-malarial activity (Iwu and Klayman, 1992); antimicrobial effect (Fakeye et al, 2002), anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions (Duwiejuna, 2002). It is used in traditional medicines in the treatment of inflammation, otitis, pulmonary bronchitis and venereal diseases. Various methods of hastening germination, including mechanical and chemical scarification, have been proffered for different species; this study was carried out to recommend the appropriate method of breaking the inherent dormancy problem in P. nitida seeds
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