Germination Response of Gum Arabic (Acacia senegal L.) Seeds to Hot Water Pre-Treatment in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the rainy season of the year 2000 from July to October at the premises of the Faculty of Agriculture University of Maiduguri under tree shade, to study the effect of hot water pre-treatment duration. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design which consisted of six (6) different times of exposure in hours: 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 16, replicated three (3) times. The data collected include days to first emergence, days to 50 % emergence and final emergence. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance. Time of pre-treatment duration significantly (P≤0.05) affected final emergence. In all the data collected, treatment subjected to hot water treatment for 2 hours appeared to be promising. Based on the result obtained, it may be recommended that gum Arabic seeds be subjected to 2 hours hot water pre-treatment.

Key words: Germination response, pre-sowing treatment, gum Arabic, orthodox seeds.