The effect of storage period on the viability of Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum. seeds

Abstract

Abstract Triplochiton scleroxylon is a tropical timber with much popularity on the international market. The use of this tree for reforestation programmes has not been very successful partly due to the plant's irregular seed supply and speculations of seed viability loss after long storage periods. Using germination test on nursery beds, this study investigated the optimum storage period for T. scleroxylon seeds kept in a sterilized sack under room conditions (25 °C and 65% Relative Humidity) for twelve (12) months. Germination characteristics such as First Day of Emergence (FDE), Mean Emergence Time (MGT), Final Germination Percentage (FGP) and Germination Index (GI) of the seeds were compared. Increasing storage period was associated with high FDG and MGT. Similarly, FGP and GI were lower for seeds stored for long periods (e.g. 16% and 2.6 respectively for seeds stored for 12 months) than those stored for short periods (e.g. 82% and 34.1 respectively for seeds stored for 2 months). The differences between the means of the germination characteristics for the storage periods were statistically significant (p