Germination Capacity of Annona deceptrix (Westra) H. Rainer (Annonaceae) an Endemic and Endangered Species in Manabí, Ecuador

Abstract

Annona deceptrix is an endemic and endangered tree from Ecuador according to the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species™. Its endangered status has been related with anthropogenic activities and some intrinsic characteristics of this species such as a low germination capacity of its seeds under natural conditions which is a serious limitation to obtain plants to establish conservation and breeding strategies. The objective of this study was to determine the seed germination capacity of A. deceptrix under different conditions and pre-germination treatments as a decisive factor in the survival of the species in ecosystems. The six pre-germination treatments were seed mechanical scarification (fine sandpaper), seed imbibitions in gibberellic acid solutions with three different concentrations (600, 700, 800 ppm) for 24 hours, imbibition of seeds in distilled water for 48 hours and direct sowing (control). For each treatment was sown twenty seeds under greenhouse conditions and germination chamber. The variables evaluated were: total number of germinated seeds, germination capacity, maximum germination value and germination energy. Mechanical scarification was the best treatment with 100 % germinated seed and showed to be significantly different than the other treatment. In this regards, the rest of the treatment the germination ranged between 35 % to 55 % and did not show statistical differences each other. In conclusion, the seeds of A. deceptrix have a low germination capacity in natural conditions and then they need a pre-germination process such as mechanical-scarification to guarantees for their performance in the ecosystems.