Assessment of germination behaviour and nursery performance of pericopsis angolensis
| dc.contributor.author | Mbailwa, Yahya Said | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-01-17T16:35:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-01-17T16:35:44Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | Dissertation | |
| dc.description.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. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7221 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Sokoine University of Agriculture | |
| dc.subject | Germination behaviour assessment | |
| dc.subject | Nursery performance | |
| dc.subject | Pericopsis angolensis | |
| dc.subject | Tree planting | |
| dc.subject | Forest restoration efforts | |
| dc.title | Assessment of germination behaviour and nursery performance of pericopsis angolensis | |
| dc.type | Thesis |