)JOEBXJ1VCMJTIJOH$PSQPSBUJPO …downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/2014/984194.pdf · % and .% in treatments with hot water ( C for min) and scari cation. e study also revealed that

Research ArticleThe Effect of Seed Sources Variation and PresowingTreatments on the Seed Germination of Acacia catechu andElaeocarpus floribundus Species in Bangladesh

Niamjit Das

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science School of Agriculture and Mineral SciencesShahjalal University of Science and Technology Sylhet 3114 Bangladesh

Correspondence should be addressed to Niamjit Das niamjitforestrygmailcom

Received 11 December 2013 Revised 3 February 2014 Accepted 6 February 2014 Published 18 March 2014

Academic Editor Kihachiro Kikuzawa

Copyright copy 2014 Niamjit Das This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License whichpermits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited

The seed germination of seed sources and presowing treatments ofAcacia catechu andElaeocarpus floribundus seedswere conductedin the nursery of Bangladesh Agricultural University The seeds were collected from matured and healthy trees from four differentlocations in Bangladesh and treated with six presowingmethodsThe germination test was conducted in polybags with amixture oftopsoil and cow dung in a ratio of 3 1The results of ANOVA showed no significant differences among seed sources but statisticallysignificant differences among the presowing treatments for both species Thus the presowing methods affected the germinationprocess of seeds and then the highest germination success was found to be 9126 in hot water (80∘C for 10min) treatment inAcacia catechu and the highest germination success (8981) of Elaeocarpus floribunduswas found in H

2

SO4

treatment followed by8635 and 7842 in treatments with hot water (100∘C for 12min) and scarification The study also revealed that the interactionsbetween seed source variation and presowing methods effect significantly differed in seed germination percentages Therefore itis concluded that hot water treatment can be suggested on seed germination of both species for developing nurseries and ruralBangladesh

1 Introduction

Seeds provide the most natural resources of plant reproduc-tion preservation of genetic variability transportation andpropagation of flora Though viable seeds do not germinateeven under favorable environmental conditions for manycases this phenomenon is termed seed dormancy [1] Severalinternal factors cause dormancy which includes seed coatembryo or inhibitors which influence the seed germinationrate [2] To overcome these factors different pretreatmentmethods have to be adjusted to individual species and seedlots depending on the type of plant species and dormancyPhysical dormancy is caused due to water-resistant seed coator fruit enclosure which stops imbibition and sometimes alsogaseous exchange It may be overcome either by pretreatmentmethods of scarification of the seed coat by piercing nickingclipping filing or burning with the aid of knife needle hot

wire burner or abrasion paper [3] by hot water treatment[4 5] or by acid treatment [4]

Acacia catechuWilld (locally known as Khair) amemberof the family Mimosaceae is a medium sized deciduous treewhich grows up to 15m in height The brown beaked seedpods of A catechu are 50ndash125mm long on a short stalk andcontain between four and seven seeds which are dark brownflat and 5ndash8mm in diameter [6] A catechu is the principalsource of tannin one of the most highly valuable forest prod-ucts presently traded internationally [7] It is found growingin both natural and plantation forms in Bangladesh and it isalso found throughout India Sri Lanka Pakistan SoutheastAsia and South China [8] It is found in tropical savannahdry deciduous forests and arid steppe climates It is a valuablebioresources and multipurpose tree species The heartwoodof the tree is mainly used for extracting Katha and Cutch(decoction obtained after filtration) Cutch is used for tanning

Hindawi Publishing CorporationInternational Journal of Forestry ResearchVolume 2014 Article ID 984194 8 pageshttpdxdoiorg1011552014984194

2 International Journal of Forestry Research

Table 1 Different seed sources of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus with latitude longitude and number of seeds used forgermination

Seed source Location Date of seed collection Country Latitude Longitude Number of seedsAcacia catechu Elaeocarpus floribundus

L1 Dinajpur 23012013 Bangladesh 25∘371015840N 88∘381015840E 576 480L2 Mymensingh 26012013 Bangladesh 24∘441015840N 90∘241015840E 576 480L3 Sylhet 30012013 Bangladesh 24∘531015840N 91∘521015840E 576 480L4 Chittagong 05022013 Bangladesh 22∘191015840N 91∘491015840E 576 480

leather and as dye to a great extent After that Cutch is used asadhesive in plywood industry and it is also used in preparingpolishes and paints [9] The wood is durable and widely usedby the inhabitants for house building material as poles andto prepare furniture A catechu has a great socioeconomicimportance and it has tremendous ecological significanceBecause of its leguminous nature and soil binding abilitiesit could be a suitable species for wasteland development[7] However poor seed germination due to seed dormancyof this species restricts plantation programs Other treespecies of Elaeocarpus floribundusBlume belong to the familyElaeocarpaceae which is an evergreen moderate sized treewith spreading crown and clean bole of 12 to 16m lengthTheseed of E floribundus is a stone-3 celled each having a spindleshaped seed and despite hard seed coat (stone) the seeds arerecalcitrant [10] E floribundus usually grows on hill slopesand ridges with sandy to clay soils and occurs in the forestsof Chittagong Chittagong Hill Tracts Coxrsquos Bazar Sylhetand Mymensingh districts in Bangladesh but it can also beseen in India Indo-China Thailand Malaysia Philippinesand Indonesia Its fruits are edible which are used for pickleand also have medicinal value for treating several diseases[11] The wood of E floribundus is used for light interiorconstruction and plywood It is suitable for the manufactureof particle board fiberboard and paper pulp [10] But seedgermination rates of this species are usually very low due toseed dormancy (personal contract with the nursery owners)

Large scale plantations in agroforestry social forestry andhome gardens are limited due to poor seed germination anddeferred nursery establishment [12ndash14] Seed treatment canensure success in both seed germination and germinationspeed and guarantee that germination procedures are quickand homogeneous [15 16] The effects of pretreatments onseed germination of some tropical forest tree species havebeen reported by Ahamed et al [17] Matin and Rashid [18]Ali et al [19] Koirala et al [20] Khan et al [21] Alamgir andHossain [22 23] Azad et al [24 25] and Matin et al [26] Agood planning and profitability of forest nurseries depend onthe proper techniques that gear up the germination processand attain a more dependable germination seed sown [2022] Suitable presowing techniques of seed germination canenhance the germination rate and overall process [24 25]After that tree species of A catechu and E floribundusare distributed throughout the country Thus variation inseed sources is very important for seed germination andseedling growth when seeds are selected for further usein afforestation reforestation and breeding programs in

the country Seed collection from suitable locations canenhance the germination procedure and thereby speed upplantation programs Similar studies have been reported bySneizko and Stewart [27] in Acacia albida Vakshasya etal [28] in Dalbergia sissoo Nautiyal et al [29] in Quercusleucotrichophora Bhat and Chauhan [30] in Albizia lebbeckClose andWilson [31] inEucalyptus regnans Esen et al [32] inPrunus serotina and Shivanna et al [33] in Pongamia pinnataTherefore the objective of the study was to recognize theeffects of seed source dissimilarity on different aspects ofseed germination and to determine the best presowing seedtreatment that will ensure their main germination processwithin the shortest period of time at the nursery stage

2 Materials and Methods

21 Study Area The experiment was conducted in the nurs-ery of Bangladesh Agricultural University Bangladesh Thegeographic position of the study area is situated between24∘441015840N and 90∘241015840E The climate of the study area is knownas subtropical in nature like the other part of the countryThe experiment was done in JanuaryndashJuly 2013 The airtemperature ranged between 26∘ and 32∘C and the relativehumidity was 65ndash80 during the experiment

22 Seed Collection and Growing Media in the ExperimentThe seeds were collected from 15- to 25-year-old maturedand healthy trees from four different locations in Bangladesh(Table 1) All seeds were dried in the sunlight and thenstored in airtight polybags till the treatments were appliedThe collected seeds were checked to remove the discoloreddamaged seeds Healthy dried seeds were used for theexperiment The germination trial was carried out by sowingthe seeds in 4 cm times 6 cm polybags in a medium of topsoiland cow dung in the ratio of 3 1 Then the beds were laidin a systematic order and it was made with a slightly abovefrom the ground surrounding areas so that water could notremain for a long time Polybags were filled with soils andcomposts Then the good and healthy seed was sown in eachpolybag after applying presowing treatment One seed wassown in each polybag at a depth of 05ndash15 cm Polybags werekept in the shade throughout the experiment and wateringwas carried out manually once a day

23 ExperimentalDesign andTreatments RandomizedBlockDesign (RBD) with four replications was used for the exper-iment The treatment combination consisted of two factors

International Journal of Forestry Research 3

Table 2 Variation in seed sources on different aspects of seed germination of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus nursery stage

Species Seed source Germinationstarting date (d)

Germinationclosing date (d)

Germinationperiod (d)

Germinationpercentage ()

Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu

L1 624 plusmn 018 1572 plusmn 024 948 plusmn 043 5615 plusmn 342 166 plusmn 008




Elaeocarpus floribundus





Note L1 Dinajpur L2 Mymensingh L3 Sylhet L4 Chittagong Data are shown in mean plusmn SD

namely seed sourcelocation and presowingmethods In sup-port of each presowing method 384 (4 times 4times 24) polybags (forA catechu) and 320 (4 times 4 times 20) polybags (for E floribundus)were used for four different seed sources designated as L1 L2L3 and L4 Thus the total number of polybags used for seedgermination was 2304 (6 times 4 times 4times 24) for A catechu and 1920(6 times 4 times 4 times 20) for E floribundus There were six presowingmethods in the experiment as follows

(S1) control (seeds provided no treatment)(S2) seeds immersed in hot water (80∘C) for 10min fol-

lowed in cold water soaking for 24 h(S3) seeds immersed in cold water (4∘C) for 24 h(S4) seeds immersed in hot water (100∘C) for 12min

followed by cold water soaking for 24 h(S5) seeds immersed in concentrated H

2SO4(80) for

20min(S6) scarification with sand paper

In total there were twenty-four treatment combinations andwere denoted as follows T1 S1L1 T2 S1L2 T3 S1L3 T4S1L4 T24 S6L4

24 Determination of SeedGermination Thenumber of seedsgerminated in each treatment was recorded regularly Thestarting and closing dates of seed germination were alsorecorded At the end of the germination period the germina-tion percentage and rate of germination [34] were calculatedusing the following equations

119866119901=

119873119892

119873119905

times 100

119866119903= sum

119873119892

Days of count

(1)

that is

119866119903= sum

119873119892

Days to first count+ sdot sdot sdot + sum

119873119892

Days to final count

(2)

where 119866119901is the germination percentage 119873

119892the number of

germinated seeds119873119905the total number of seeds planted and

119866119903the rate of germination

25 Data Analysis Seed germination data were statisticallyanalyzed by using computer software SPSS version 20 toexplore potential treatment variations Analysis of variance(ANOVA) and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) [35]were carried out to analyze the data The ANOVA wascarried out to determine the effect of variation in seed source(L) presowing method effect (S) and interaction (S times L)on starting and closing dates of germination germinationperiods germination percentages and rates of germinationDMRTwas conducted to compare mean germination closingdates germination periods and germination percentages ofthe effect of different presowing methods

3 Results and Discussion

31 Effects of Variation of Seed Sources on Seed GerminationGermination started somewhat earlier from the seeds origi-nating in L2 for Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundusthan from other sources (Table 2) Germination closed laterin L4 for Acacia catechu and L3 for Elaeocarpus floribundusthan in the others In the case of Acacia catechu the highestgermination success was found at 5615 in L1 (119875 gt 005)and the lowest was 4905 in L4 In another case Elaeocarpusfloribundus the highest germination percentage was shownat 4743 in L1 (119875 gt 005) and the lowest was 4044 inL2 (Table 2) The results of ANOVA showed no significantdifferences (119875 gt 005) in starting dates and closing dates ingermination germination periods germination percentagesand rates of germination among seed sources

32 Effect of Presowing Treatments on Seed Germination ofAcacia catechu Seed germination started in advance for theseeds immersed in hot water (80∘C) for 10min (S2) thanother treatments followed by cold water soaking for 24 h (S2)than other treatmentsGermination closed later in the control(S1) and cold water treatment (S3) (119875 lt 005) than in hotwater (80∘C) for 10min (S2) and immersion in concentratedH2SO4(80) for 20min (S5) treatments (Table 3) It took


Table 3 Effects of presowing treatments on different aspects of seed germination of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus at nurserystage

Species Treatment Germinationstarting date (d)




Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu

S1 613 plusmn 021 1586 plusmn 047a968 plusmn 034

a6958 plusmn 351

b159 plusmn 011

S2 548 plusmn 015 1402 plusmn 023b847 plusmn 022

b9126 plusmn 264

a187 plusmn 007


a7422 plusmn 338

b173 plusmn 010


a8067 plusmn 343

b164 plusmn 011


b7315 plusmn 426

b169 plusmn 012


b8594 plusmn 367

a181 plusmn 009



a7216 plusmn 319

b153 plusmn 011


a6819 plusmn 459

b145 plusmn 013


b7442 plusmn 362

b158 plusmn 011


b8635 plusmn 267

a173 plusmn 009


b8981 plusmn 225

a179 plusmn 006


a7842 plusmn 392

b172 plusmn 008

Note same letter(s) in the same column indicate(s) insignificant differences and data are shown in mean plusmn SD at 119875 lt 005

an average of 8 days to complete seed germination in thehot water (80∘C) and germination was completed within 5ndash16 days after sowing the seeds collected from all sources(Table 3) The highest germination success (9126) in hotwater (80∘C) for 10min followed in cold water soaking for24 h treatment (S2) differed significantly (119875 lt 001) with thelowest germination success (6958) in the control treatment(S1) DMRT showed no significant difference (119875 gt 005) ofseed germination among the treatments of S1 (6958) S3(7422) S4 (8067) and S5 (7315) but these differedsignificantly (119875 lt 005) from S2 (9126) and S6 (8594)(Table 3) There was no significant difference (119875 gt 005)between the treatments of S2 and S6 (Table 3)The cumulativegermination success () of A catechu under control (S1)and the highest germination of hot water (80∘C for 10min)treatment (S2) was shown in Figure 1 After that ANOVAsshowed no significant difference (119875 gt 005) in germinationstarting dates and rates of germination among the treatmentsbut there were significant differences (119875 lt 005) in germina-tion closing dates the germination periods and germinationpercentages for presowing methods effects (Table 4) Theinteractions between seed source variation and presowingmethods showed no significant differences (119875 gt 005) amongstarting dates periods and rates of germination but it didshow significant differences (119875 lt 005) among germinationclosing dates and germination percentages (Table 4) Thegermination percentage of these interactions for A catechuwas also shown in Table 5

That means from the consideration of germination peri-od germination percentage and rate of germination the besttreatment for A catechu is S2 treatment The main reasonbehind the successful germination of S2 is that seed of Acatechumight require hot water in the first time to break thedormancy and after that soaking in cold water for 24 h insecond time makes the seed coat softer which ensures themaximum successful germination of seed Azad et al [24]reported highest germination (52) in hot water treatment

0102030405060708090

100

4 8 12 16 20

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()

Germination period (days)S1S2

Figure 1 Cumulative germination () throughout the germinationperiod of A catechu under the treatments of S1 and S2 in polybag

in A lebbeck may be due to the variation of seed coatthickness The difference of seed germination success may bedue to the variation of boiling time and temperature appliedSajeevukumar et al [36] carried out an experiment on seeddormancy and germination on Albizia falcataria and Aprocera and found that hot water treatments by 40 60 70 and80∘C significantly increased germination in these two Albiziaspecies Bowen and Eusebio [37] Koffa [38] and Diangana[39] conducted experiments on A falcataria and obtainedsimilar results It may be due to the fact that imbibitioncan be almost completed at higher temperatures althoughsometimes poor germination responses occurred in a hotwater treatment which was sensitive to the embryo [40]The present study clearly shows that the seed coat of Acatechu softens when immersed in hot water (80∘C for 10min) followed in cold water soaking for 24 h Azad et al [41]


Table 4 Summary of probabilities (P) of variation in seed source presowing methods effects and their interaction with different aspects ofseed germination of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus at nursery stage

Source Aspect Acacia catechu Elaeocarpus floribundusP value 119875 value

Seed source effects (L)

Germination starting date (d) 05173 08162Germination closing date (d) 04291 06381Total germination period (d) 09062 05327Germination percentage () 05389 09402

Rate of germination 07614 06183

Presowing methods effects (S)

Germination starting date (d) 01683 00843Germination closing date (d) 00027lowastlowastlowast 00015lowastlowastlowast

Total germination period (d) 00392lowastlowastlowast 02361Germination percentage () 00001lowastlowastlowast 00001lowastlowastlowast

Rate of germination 03562 00217lowastlowastlowast

Interaction (S times L)

Germination starting date (d) 00935 00005lowastlowastlowast

Germination closing date (d) 00252lowastlowastlowast 00618Total germination period (d) 01083 03816Germination percentage () 00001lowastlowastlowast 00001lowastlowastlowast

Rate of germination 02681 00495lowastlowastlowastlowastlowastlowast

119875 lt 005

Table 5 Effects of interaction between seed source and presowingmethods on the germination ofAcacia catechu andElaeocarpus floribundus

Species Seed source S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6

Acacia catechu

L1 7653 plusmn 275b9553 plusmn 163

a7544 plusmn 185

b8241 plusmn 272

a8165 plusmn 274

a8704 plusmn 492

a


a8500 plusmn 395

a7357 plusmn 190

b6981 plusmn 384

b9121 plusmn 233

a


b6369 plusmn 286

c8791 plusmn 298

a7615 plusmn 294

b8655 plusmn 370

a

L4 6152 plusmn 198c9193 plusmn 217

a7363 plusmn 302

b7786 plusmn 208

b6410 plusmn 177

c7549 plusmn 186

b


L1 8179 plusmn 296a7881 plusmn 196

a7395 plusmn 208

b9289 plusmn 287

a8962 plusmn 383

a8592 plusmn 174

a


b5843 plusmn 355

c7339 plusmn 381

b9312 plusmn 277

a6943 plusmn 278

b


c7929 plusmn 289

a8726 plusmn 294

a9299 plusmn 196

a8700 plusmn 383

a


b8026 plusmn 388

a9123 plusmn 402

a7473 plusmn 271

b71265 plusmn 251

b

Note same letter(s) in the same column or row indicate(s) insignificant differences and data are shown in mean plusmn SD at 119875 lt 005

found 69germination success in hotwater (80∘C for 10min)treatment onMelia azedarach It may be due to the differenceof seed coat thickness Ali et al [19] carried out an experimenton hot water treatment (50∘C and boiling for 3min) on Aprocera and found 43 seed germination

33 Effect of Presowing Treatments on Seed Germination ofElaeocarpus Floribundus Seed germination started earlierfor the seeds immersed in concentrated H

2SO4(80) for

20min (S5) than other treatments Germination closed laterin hotwater treatment (80∘C) for 10min (S2) and scarificationwith sand paper treatment (S6) (119875 lt 005) than othertreatments of immersed in hot water (100∘C) for 12min(S4) and immersed in concentrated H

2SO4(80) for 20min

(S5) (Table 3) The shortest period required for germinationwas observed in S4 (10ndash31 days) and S5 (9ndash30 days) andthe longest period of germination was observed in S2 (11ndash33 days) The highest germination percentage was found inS5 (8981) followed by S4 (8635) and S6 (7842) and

the shortest germination percentage was found in S2(6819) From DMRT it was also found that seed germi-nation percentages were significant differences (119875 lt 005)of H2SO4treatment with other treatments (S1 (7216) S2

(6819) S3 (7442) and S6 (7842)) but no significantdifference (119875 gt 005) was found between hot water (100∘C)for 12min (S4) and concentrated H

2SO4(80) for 20min

(S5) treatment (Table 3)The cumulative germination success() of E floribundus under control (S1) and the highestgermination of H

2SO4treatment (S5) and hot water (100∘C

for 12min) treatment (S4) were shown in Figure 2 Afterthat ANOVAs showed no significant difference (119875 gt005) in germination starting dates and periods amongthe treatments but there were significant differences (119875 lt005) in germination closing dates percentages and rates ofgermination for presowing methods effects (Table 4) Theinteractions between seed source variation and presowingmethods showed no significant differences (119875 gt 005)among germination closing dates and periods but it did


0102030405060708090

100

7 14 21 28 35

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()

Germination period (days)S1S4S5

Figure 2 Cumulative germination () throughout the germinationperiod of E floribundus under the treatments of S1 S4 and S5 inpolybag

show significant differences (119875 lt 005) among germina-tion starting dates percentages and rates of germination(Table 4) The germination percentage of these interactionsfor E floribundus was also shown in Table 5 Azad et al [25]found a similar result in 80 concentrated H

2SO4treatment

for 20 minutes (84) on presowing treatment effect on theseed germination of Xylia kerrii in Bangladesh Pipinis etal [42] noted that concentrated sulphuric acid treatmentproved more effective in breaking dormancy ConsequentlyRen and Tao [43] reported that concentrated sulphuric acidtreatment recorded superior germination rate in Calligonumspecies compared to scarification treatment We also showedthat several authors have argued that different methods ofpresowing treatments to break the seed dormancy increasethe germination rate and speed up the germination process[22ndash25 40 41 44]

The present study revealed that there were differences inseed germination starting dates closing dates germinationperiod germination percentages and rates of germinationamong the different seed sources but variation in seedsources did not affect significantly (119875 gt 005) different aspectsin the seed germination of A catechu and E floribundusThis may be due to variation in the microclimate among theseed sources which was very similar Besides these factorsthe subtropical climate conditions throughout the countryhelp to adopt this species in Bangladesh Azad et al [14]carried out a similar study on seed germination of Albiziaprocera in Bangladesh and found no significant difference ofseed germination among the seed sources For establishinga nursery of particular species for predicting the maximumnumber of quality seedling with minimum cost time andlabor presowing treatments of seeds are essential As a resultthe forest department nursery owners farmers NGOs andresearchers to know the effect of presowing treatments ongermination and thereby they can apply these treatments to

get best quality seedlings within the shortest period of timefor large scale production of seedling

4 Conclusions

Presowing seed treatments play a key role to enhance the seedgermination under nursery condition Among the presowingtreatments hot water immersion (80∘C for 10min and 100∘Cfor 12min) and acid treatment performed very well for bothspecies The best treatment of A catechu was found by seedsimmersed in hot water (80∘C) for 10min followed in coldwater soaking for 24 h Effective presowing treatments of Efloribundus were shown by soaking in concentrated H

2SO4

(80) for 20min and hot water (100∘C) for 12min thathas no significant difference appeared Though the use ofsulfuric acid techniques is somewhat risky and troublesomeTherefore it is suggested to apply hot water treatment at 80∘Cfor a period of 10min for A catechu and 100∘C for a periodof 12min for E floribundus in Bangladesh to get high seedgermination success rates

Conflict of Interests

The author declares that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Bangladesh Agricultural University fortheir permission of field works I also thank the supportstaff of the forest nursery of Mymensingh Bangladesh forproviding help and cooperation during the experiment

References

[1] L Taiz and E Zeiger Plant Physiology vol 10 Sinauer Asso-ciates Sunderland Mass USA 3rd edition 2002

[2] P K Agrawal and M Dadlani Techniques in Seed Science andTechnology South Asian Publishers New Delhi India 2ndedition 1995

[3] L A Catalan and R E Macchiavelli ldquoImproving germinationin Prosopis flexuosa DC and P alba Grise B with hot watertreatments and scarificationrdquo Seed Science and Technology vol19 pp 253ndash262 1991

[4] B Kobmoo and A K Hellum ldquoHot water and acid improve thegermination of Cassia siamea Britt SeedsrdquoThe Embryan vol 1no 1 pp 27ndash33 1984

[5] P D Khasa ldquoScarification of limba seeds with hot water bleachand acidrdquo Tree Planters Note vol 43 no 4 pp 150ndash152 1992

[6] N S Bisht and S P Ahlawat Seed Technology State Forestry Re-search Institute Government of Arunachal Pradesh ItanagarIndia 1999

[7] K N Singh and B Lal ldquoNotes on traditional uses of khair(Acacia catechu Willd) by inhabitants of shivalik range inWestern Himalayardquo Ethnobotanical Leaflets vol 10 pp 109ndash1122006


[8] T Chakrabarty and M Gangopadhyay ldquoThe genus Acacia PMiller (Leguminosae Mimosoideae) in Indiardquo Journal of Eco-nomic and Taxonomic Botany vol 20 pp 599ndash633 1996

[9] K N Singh Variation studies on katha content in relation todifferent forms of khair (Acacia catechuWilld) trees [MS thesis]Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry SolanIndia 2000

[10] U V Singh S P Ahlawat and N S Bisht Nursery Techniqueof Local Tree Species II SFRI Information Bulletin No 11 StateForest Research Institute Jabalpur India 2003

[11] H B JoshiMA Rashid andPVenkataramanyTheSilvicultureOfIndian Trees Controller of Publication New Delhi India1981

[12] M S Azad MW IslamM A Matin andM A Bari ldquoEffect ofpre-sowing treatment on seed germination of Albizia lebbeck(L) Benthrdquo South Asian Journal of Agriculture vol 1 no 2 pp32ndash34 2006

[13] M SAzadMAMatinMW Islam andMZAMusa ldquoEffectof pre-sowing treatment on seed germination of Lohakath(Xylia kerrii Craib amp Hutch)rdquo Khulna University Study vol 7no 2 pp 33ndash36 2006

[14] M S Azad R K Biswas and M A Matin ldquoSeed germinationof Albizia procera(Roxb) Benth in Bangladesh a basis for seedsource variation and pre sowing treatment effectrdquo Forestry Studyin China vol 12 no 2 pp 124ndash130 2012

[15] M S Azad M R Manik M S Hasan andM A Matin ldquoEffectof different pre-sowing treatments on seed germination per-centage and growth performance of Acacia auriculiformisrdquoJournal of Forestry Research vol 22 no 2 pp 183ndash188 2011

[16] M S AzadM T Rahman andM AMatin ldquoSeed germinationtechniques of Phoenix dactylifera a new experience fromBangladeshrdquo Frontiers of Agriculture in China vol 5 no 2 pp241ndash246 2011

[17] F D Ahamed S Das and M A Hossain ldquoEffect of seed treat-ment on the germination of rakta kombal seedsrdquo Bano BiggyanPatrica vol 12 no 1 pp 62ndash65 1983

[18] M A Matin and M H Rashid ldquoSeed morphology germi-nation and seedling survival of Albizia trees in the NurseryrdquoBangladesh Journal of Forest Science vol 21 no 1 pp 40ndash451992

[19] M Ali S Akhter andM Kamaluddin ldquoStudy on the bearing ofhot water treatment on seed germination and seedling growthofAlbizia procera benthrdquo Indian Forester vol 123 no 8 pp 764ndash768 1997

[20] B Koirala M K Hossain and M S Hossain ldquoEffects of differ-ent pre-sowing treatments onAdenanthera pavonia L seeds andinitial seedling development in the nurseryrdquoMalaysian Forestervol 63 no 2 pp 82ndash91 2000

[21] B M Khan B Koirala and M K Hossian ldquoEffect of differentpre-sowing treatments on germination and seedling growthattributes in Ghora Neem (Melia azedarach L)rdquo MalaysianForester vol 64 no 1 pp 14ndash21 2001

[22] MAlamgir andMKHossain ldquoEffect of pre-sowing treatmentsonAlbizia procera (Roxb) Benth seeds and initials developmentof seedlings in the nurseryrdquo Journal of Forestry and Environ-ment vol 3 pp 53ndash60 2005

[23] MAlamgir andMKHossain ldquoEffect of pre-sowing treatmentson germination and initials seedling development of Albizia

saman in the nurseryrdquo Journal of Forestry Research vol 16 no3 pp 200ndash204 2005

[24] M S Azad MW IslamM A Matin andM A Bari ldquoEffect ofpre-sowing treatment on seed germination of Albizia lebbeck(L) Benthrdquo South Asian Journal Agriculture vol 1 no 2 pp32ndash34 2006

[25] M S AzadM AMatinMW Islam and Z AMusa ldquoEffect ofpre-sowing treatment on seed germination of Lohakath (Xyliakerrii Craib amp Hutch)rdquo Khulna University Studies vol 7 no 2pp 33ndash36 2006

[26] M A Matin M S Islam and M S Azad ldquoSeed germinationseedling growth and rooting of branch cuttings of Dalbergiasissoo Roxbrdquo Khulna University Studies pp 83ndash87 2006 Pro-ceedings of the 1st Research Cell Conference

[27] R A Sniezko and H T L Stewart ldquoRange-wide provenancevariation in growth and nutrition of Acacia albida seedlingspropagated in Zimbabwerdquo Forest Ecology andManagement vol27 no 3-4 pp 179ndash197 1989

[28] R K Vakshasya O P Rajora and M S Rawat ldquoSeed andseedling traits of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb seed source variationstudies among ten sources in Indiardquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 48 no 3-4 pp 265ndash275 1992

[29] A R Nautiyal D C S Rawat and P Prasad ldquoPhysiologicalaspects of seed source variation in seed germination ofQuercusleucotrichophora A Camusrdquo Indian Forester vol 126 no 3 pp269ndash273 2000

[30] G S Bhat and P S Chauhan ldquoProvenance variation in seed andseedling traits of Albizzia lebbek Benthrdquo Journal of Tree Sciencevol 21 pp 52ndash57 2002

[31] D C Close and S J Wilson ldquoProvenance effects on pre-germination treatments forEucalyptus regnans andE delegaten-sis seedrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 170 no 1ndash3 pp299ndash305 2002

[32] D Esen O Yildiz M Sarginci and K Isik ldquoEffects of differentpretreatments on germination of Prunus serotina seed sourcesrdquoJournal of Environmental Biology vol 28 no 1 pp 99ndash104 2007

[33] H Shivanna H C Balachandra and N L Suresh ldquoSourcevariation in seed and seedling traits of Pongamia pinnatardquoKarnataka Journal of Agricultural Science vol 20 no 2 pp 438ndash439 2007

[34] J D Maguire ldquoSpeed of germination aid in selection andevaluation for seedling emergence and vigorrdquo Crop Science vol2 no 2 pp 176ndash177 1962

[35] D B Duncan ldquoMultiple ranges and multiple F-testsrdquo Biomet-rics vol 11 no 1 pp 1ndash42 1955

[36] B Sajeevukumar K Sudhakara P K Ashokan and K Gopiku-mar ldquoSeed dormancy and germination inAlbizia falcataria andAlbizia procerardquo Journal of Tropical Forest Science vol 7 no 3pp 371ndash382 1995

[37] M R Bowen and T V Eusebio Albizia Falcataria Informationon Seed Collection Handling and Germination Testing Occa-sional Technical and Scientific Notes Seed Series No 4 ForestResearch Centre Sabah Malaysia 1981

[38] S N Koffa ldquoTemperature its effect on the pre-germination ofAlbizia falcatariardquo Canopy International vol 9 p 5 1983

[39] D Diangana ldquoTreatment to accelerate germination of Acaciamangium Albizia falcataria Calliandra calothyrsus and Leu-caena leucocephalardquo Nitrogen Fixing Trees Research Report vol3 pp 2ndash3 1985


[40] S Kandya ldquoEnhancing germination in Cassia siamea seedsrdquoJournal of Tropical Forest Science vol 6 pp 28ndash35 1990

[41] M S Azad N K Paul and M A Matin ldquoDo pre-sowingtreatments affect seed germination in Albizia richardiana andLagerstroemia speciosardquo Frontiers of Agriculture in China vol4 no 2 pp 181ndash184 2010

[42] E Pipinis E Milios P Smiris and C Gioumousidis ldquoEffectof acid scarification and cold moist stratification on the ger-mination of Cercis siliquastrum L seedsrdquo Turkish Journal ofAgriculture and Forestry vol 35 no 3 pp 259ndash264 2011

[43] J Ren and L Tao ldquoEffects of different pre-sowing seed treat-ments on germination of 10 Calligonum speciesrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 195 no 3 pp 291ndash300 2004

[44] J P Yadav ldquoPretreatment of teak seed to enhance germinationrdquoIndian Forester vol 11 no 2 pp 260ndash264 1992

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Forestry ResearchInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Environmental and Public Health

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MeteorologyAdvances in

EcologyInternational Journal of


Marine BiologyJournal of


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Applied ampEnvironmentalSoil Science

Volume 2014

Advances in


Environmental Chemistry

Atmospheric SciencesInternational Journal of



Waste ManagementJournal of

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International Journal of

Geophysics


Geological ResearchJournal of

EarthquakesJournal of


BiodiversityInternational Journal of


ScientificaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

OceanographyInternational Journal of


The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Journal of Computational Environmental SciencesHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014


ClimatologyJournal of


Table 1 Different seed sources of Acacia catechu and Elaeocarpus floribundus with latitude longitude and number of seeds used forgermination

Seed source Location Date of seed collection Country Latitude Longitude Number of seedsAcacia catechu Elaeocarpus floribundus

L1 Dinajpur 23012013 Bangladesh 25∘371015840N 88∘381015840E 576 480L2 Mymensingh 26012013 Bangladesh 24∘441015840N 90∘241015840E 576 480L3 Sylhet 30012013 Bangladesh 24∘531015840N 91∘521015840E 576 480L4 Chittagong 05022013 Bangladesh 22∘191015840N 91∘491015840E 576 480

leather and as dye to a great extent After that Cutch is used asadhesive in plywood industry and it is also used in preparingpolishes and paints [9] The wood is durable and widely usedby the inhabitants for house building material as poles andto prepare furniture A catechu has a great socioeconomicimportance and it has tremendous ecological significanceBecause of its leguminous nature and soil binding abilitiesit could be a suitable species for wasteland development[7] However poor seed germination due to seed dormancyof this species restricts plantation programs Other treespecies of Elaeocarpus floribundusBlume belong to the familyElaeocarpaceae which is an evergreen moderate sized treewith spreading crown and clean bole of 12 to 16m lengthTheseed of E floribundus is a stone-3 celled each having a spindleshaped seed and despite hard seed coat (stone) the seeds arerecalcitrant [10] E floribundus usually grows on hill slopesand ridges with sandy to clay soils and occurs in the forestsof Chittagong Chittagong Hill Tracts Coxrsquos Bazar Sylhetand Mymensingh districts in Bangladesh but it can also beseen in India Indo-China Thailand Malaysia Philippinesand Indonesia Its fruits are edible which are used for pickleand also have medicinal value for treating several diseases[11] The wood of E floribundus is used for light interiorconstruction and plywood It is suitable for the manufactureof particle board fiberboard and paper pulp [10] But seedgermination rates of this species are usually very low due toseed dormancy (personal contract with the nursery owners)

Large scale plantations in agroforestry social forestry andhome gardens are limited due to poor seed germination anddeferred nursery establishment [12ndash14] Seed treatment canensure success in both seed germination and germinationspeed and guarantee that germination procedures are quickand homogeneous [15 16] The effects of pretreatments onseed germination of some tropical forest tree species havebeen reported by Ahamed et al [17] Matin and Rashid [18]Ali et al [19] Koirala et al [20] Khan et al [21] Alamgir andHossain [22 23] Azad et al [24 25] and Matin et al [26] Agood planning and profitability of forest nurseries depend onthe proper techniques that gear up the germination processand attain a more dependable germination seed sown [2022] Suitable presowing techniques of seed germination canenhance the germination rate and overall process [24 25]After that tree species of A catechu and E floribundusare distributed throughout the country Thus variation inseed sources is very important for seed germination andseedling growth when seeds are selected for further usein afforestation reforestation and breeding programs in

the country Seed collection from suitable locations canenhance the germination procedure and thereby speed upplantation programs Similar studies have been reported bySneizko and Stewart [27] in Acacia albida Vakshasya etal [28] in Dalbergia sissoo Nautiyal et al [29] in Quercusleucotrichophora Bhat and Chauhan [30] in Albizia lebbeckClose andWilson [31] inEucalyptus regnans Esen et al [32] inPrunus serotina and Shivanna et al [33] in Pongamia pinnataTherefore the objective of the study was to recognize theeffects of seed source dissimilarity on different aspects ofseed germination and to determine the best presowing seedtreatment that will ensure their main germination processwithin the shortest period of time at the nursery stage

2 Materials and Methods

21 Study Area The experiment was conducted in the nurs-ery of Bangladesh Agricultural University Bangladesh Thegeographic position of the study area is situated between24∘441015840N and 90∘241015840E The climate of the study area is knownas subtropical in nature like the other part of the countryThe experiment was done in JanuaryndashJuly 2013 The airtemperature ranged between 26∘ and 32∘C and the relativehumidity was 65ndash80 during the experiment

22 Seed Collection and Growing Media in the ExperimentThe seeds were collected from 15- to 25-year-old maturedand healthy trees from four different locations in Bangladesh(Table 1) All seeds were dried in the sunlight and thenstored in airtight polybags till the treatments were appliedThe collected seeds were checked to remove the discoloreddamaged seeds Healthy dried seeds were used for theexperiment The germination trial was carried out by sowingthe seeds in 4 cm times 6 cm polybags in a medium of topsoiland cow dung in the ratio of 3 1 Then the beds were laidin a systematic order and it was made with a slightly abovefrom the ground surrounding areas so that water could notremain for a long time Polybags were filled with soils andcomposts Then the good and healthy seed was sown in eachpolybag after applying presowing treatment One seed wassown in each polybag at a depth of 05ndash15 cm Polybags werekept in the shade throughout the experiment and wateringwas carried out manually once a day

23 ExperimentalDesign andTreatments RandomizedBlockDesign (RBD) with four replications was used for the exper-iment The treatment combination consisted of two factors







Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu















2SO4(80) for




119866119901=

119873119892

119873119905

times 100

119866119903= sum

119873119892

Days of count

(1)

that is

119866119903= sum

119873119892


119873119892

Days to final count

(2)


119892the number of













Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu


a6958 plusmn 351

b159 plusmn 011


b9126 plusmn 264

a187 plusmn 007


a7422 plusmn 338

b173 plusmn 010


a8067 plusmn 343

b164 plusmn 011


b7315 plusmn 426

b169 plusmn 012


b8594 plusmn 367

a181 plusmn 009



a7216 plusmn 319

b153 plusmn 011


a6819 plusmn 459

b145 plusmn 013


b7442 plusmn 362

b158 plusmn 011


b8635 plusmn 267

a173 plusmn 009


b8981 plusmn 225

a179 plusmn 006


a7842 plusmn 392

b172 plusmn 008




0102030405060708090

100

4 8 12 16 20

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()


















119875 lt 005



Acacia catechu


a7544 plusmn 185

b8241 plusmn 272

a8165 plusmn 274

a8704 plusmn 492

a


a8500 plusmn 395

a7357 plusmn 190

b6981 plusmn 384

b9121 plusmn 233

a


b6369 plusmn 286

c8791 plusmn 298

a7615 plusmn 294

b8655 plusmn 370

a


a7363 plusmn 302

b7786 plusmn 208

b6410 plusmn 177

c7549 plusmn 186

b



a7395 plusmn 208

b9289 plusmn 287

a8962 plusmn 383

a8592 plusmn 174

a


b5843 plusmn 355

c7339 plusmn 381

b9312 plusmn 277

a6943 plusmn 278

b


c7929 plusmn 289

a8726 plusmn 294

a9299 plusmn 196

a8700 plusmn 383

a


b8026 plusmn 388

a9123 plusmn 402

a7473 plusmn 271

b71265 plusmn 251

b




2SO4(80) for


2SO4(80) for 20min




2SO4(80) for 20min





0102030405060708090

100

7 14 21 28 35

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()




2SO4treatment




4 Conclusions


2SO4




Acknowledgments


References




















































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics




















Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu















2SO4(80) for




119866119901=

119873119892

119873119905

times 100

119866119903= sum

119873119892

Days of count

(1)

that is

119866119903= sum

119873119892


119873119892

Days to final count

(2)


119892the number of













Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu


a6958 plusmn 351

b159 plusmn 011


b9126 plusmn 264

a187 plusmn 007


a7422 plusmn 338

b173 plusmn 010


a8067 plusmn 343

b164 plusmn 011


b7315 plusmn 426

b169 plusmn 012


b8594 plusmn 367

a181 plusmn 009



a7216 plusmn 319

b153 plusmn 011


a6819 plusmn 459

b145 plusmn 013


b7442 plusmn 362

b158 plusmn 011


b8635 plusmn 267

a173 plusmn 009


b8981 plusmn 225

a179 plusmn 006


a7842 plusmn 392

b172 plusmn 008




0102030405060708090

100

4 8 12 16 20

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()


















119875 lt 005



Acacia catechu


a7544 plusmn 185

b8241 plusmn 272

a8165 plusmn 274

a8704 plusmn 492

a


a8500 plusmn 395

a7357 plusmn 190

b6981 plusmn 384

b9121 plusmn 233

a


b6369 plusmn 286

c8791 plusmn 298

a7615 plusmn 294

b8655 plusmn 370

a


a7363 plusmn 302

b7786 plusmn 208

b6410 plusmn 177

c7549 plusmn 186

b



a7395 plusmn 208

b9289 plusmn 287

a8962 plusmn 383

a8592 plusmn 174

a


b5843 plusmn 355

c7339 plusmn 381

b9312 plusmn 277

a6943 plusmn 278

b


c7929 plusmn 289

a8726 plusmn 294

a9299 plusmn 196

a8700 plusmn 383

a


b8026 plusmn 388

a9123 plusmn 402

a7473 plusmn 271

b71265 plusmn 251

b




2SO4(80) for


2SO4(80) for 20min




2SO4(80) for 20min





0102030405060708090

100

7 14 21 28 35

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()




2SO4treatment




4 Conclusions


2SO4




Acknowledgments


References




















































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics




















Rate ofgermination

Acacia catechu


a6958 plusmn 351

b159 plusmn 011


b9126 plusmn 264

a187 plusmn 007


a7422 plusmn 338

b173 plusmn 010


a8067 plusmn 343

b164 plusmn 011


b7315 plusmn 426

b169 plusmn 012


b8594 plusmn 367

a181 plusmn 009



a7216 plusmn 319

b153 plusmn 011


a6819 plusmn 459

b145 plusmn 013


b7442 plusmn 362

b158 plusmn 011


b8635 plusmn 267

a173 plusmn 009


b8981 plusmn 225

a179 plusmn 006


a7842 plusmn 392

b172 plusmn 008




0102030405060708090

100

4 8 12 16 20

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()


















119875 lt 005



Acacia catechu


a7544 plusmn 185

b8241 plusmn 272

a8165 plusmn 274

a8704 plusmn 492

a


a8500 plusmn 395

a7357 plusmn 190

b6981 plusmn 384

b9121 plusmn 233

a


b6369 plusmn 286

c8791 plusmn 298

a7615 plusmn 294

b8655 plusmn 370

a


a7363 plusmn 302

b7786 plusmn 208

b6410 plusmn 177

c7549 plusmn 186

b



a7395 plusmn 208

b9289 plusmn 287

a8962 plusmn 383

a8592 plusmn 174

a


b5843 plusmn 355

c7339 plusmn 381

b9312 plusmn 277

a6943 plusmn 278

b


c7929 plusmn 289

a8726 plusmn 294

a9299 plusmn 196

a8700 plusmn 383

a


b8026 plusmn 388

a9123 plusmn 402

a7473 plusmn 271

b71265 plusmn 251

b




2SO4(80) for


2SO4(80) for 20min




2SO4(80) for 20min





0102030405060708090

100

7 14 21 28 35

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()




2SO4treatment




4 Conclusions


2SO4




Acknowledgments


References




















































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics




























119875 lt 005



Acacia catechu


a7544 plusmn 185

b8241 plusmn 272

a8165 plusmn 274

a8704 plusmn 492

a


a8500 plusmn 395

a7357 plusmn 190

b6981 plusmn 384

b9121 plusmn 233

a


b6369 plusmn 286

c8791 plusmn 298

a7615 plusmn 294

b8655 plusmn 370

a


a7363 plusmn 302

b7786 plusmn 208

b6410 plusmn 177

c7549 plusmn 186

b



a7395 plusmn 208

b9289 plusmn 287

a8962 plusmn 383

a8592 plusmn 174

a


b5843 plusmn 355

c7339 plusmn 381

b9312 plusmn 277

a6943 plusmn 278

b


c7929 plusmn 289

a8726 plusmn 294

a9299 plusmn 196

a8700 plusmn 383

a


b8026 plusmn 388

a9123 plusmn 402

a7473 plusmn 271

b71265 plusmn 251

b




2SO4(80) for


2SO4(80) for 20min




2SO4(80) for 20min





0102030405060708090

100

7 14 21 28 35

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()




2SO4treatment




4 Conclusions


2SO4




Acknowledgments


References




















































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















0102030405060708090

100

7 14 21 28 35

Cum

ulat

ive g

erm

inat

ion

()




2SO4treatment




4 Conclusions


2SO4




Acknowledgments


References




















































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics


























































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics
























Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics


















Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics














Documents

)JOEBXJ1VCMJTIJOH$PSQPSBUJPO …downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/2014/984194.pdf · % and .% in treatments with hot water ( C for min) and scari cation. e study also revealed that