Assessment of germination behaviour and nursery performance of pericopsis angolensis
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Date
2024
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Successful tree planting and forest restoration efforts often rely on
nursery practices to ensure the successful germination, growth, and
survival of tree species. However, indigenous tree species like
Pericopsis angolensis have received limited attention in terms of
establishment, management, and performance in nursery settings,
despite their significant ecological and socio-economic importance.
This study investigated the influences of two major aspects of tree
seedling establishment practices: seed pretreatments and seedling
production techniques to provide a comprehensive understanding of
optimizing nursery practices for Pericopsis angolensis seedlings in
forest restoration. Seed germinability of Pericopsis angolensis was
assessed through a germinability test using a complete randomized
block design (CRBD) with four replications and five pre-treatments,
involving soaking in normal and boiling water at different time
intervals. Germination value, germination percent, mean germination
time, germination index and germination capacity were used as
potential indicators for seed germinability. A CRBD with a 3 x 3 x 3
factorial arrangement was employed to assess seedling performance
under varying nursery conditions, including shading intensities (SIs)
(0%, 50%, and 75%), pot sizes (PSs) (10 cm, 15 cm, and 20 cm), and
potting mixtures (PMs) (PM0 [sand: cow manure: forest topsoil
(1:2:4)], PM1 [sand: cow manure: forest topsoil (1:2:3)], PM2 [sand:
cow manure: forest topsoil (1:4:3)], PM3 [forest topsoil only], and PM4
[PM0 with an additional 5 gm of NPK]). Performance of tree seedlings
was assessed using growth parameters namely leaf counts, root
collar diameter, root length, shoot height, total dry biomass, survival
percentage, and seedling quality in terms of sturdiness quotient. This
study showed that germinability was higher in the control treatment,
indicating that pre-treating Pericopsis angolensis seeds by soaking in
cold and hot water had no additional effect on germination. On the
other hand, SI was found to significantly affect growth parameters,
with 75% SI having the most substantial impact. PS and PM
composition also played crucial roles, with larger pots and the use of
forest topsoil contributing to increased seedling productivity. While
suggesting that forest restoration using Pericopsis angolensis seeds may not require such pre-treatments, this study recommended
maintaining 50% SI to optimize seedling growth and highlighted the
benefits of larger PS and the inclusion of forest topsoil for biomass
production. The duration for both experiments of seed pre-sowing
treatments and nursery techniques were 28 days and 4.5 months
respectively. In conclusion, the findings underscore the importance
of careful nursery management for Pericopsis angolensis, an
indigenous tree species critical for forest restoration, ultimately
contributing to the conservation and restoration of vital ecosystems.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Germination behaviour assessment, Nursery performance, Pericopsis angolensis, Tree planting, Forest restoration efforts