The effect of seed treatments on germination of Pterocarpus angolensis DC in the nursery environment in Namibia

Abstract

This study was carried out at the University of Namibia, Ogongo campus to determine the effect of seed treatments on germination  percentage of P. angolensis in a nursery environment in order to contribute to the imminent needs for restoration of degraded Miombo  woodlands in Southern Africa. The experiment, which involved three seed treatments replicated four times, was designed in a completely  randomised design. Three seed treatments used are: (1) soaking the seeds in warm water 40℃ for 10 minutes, (2) nicking and (3) control.  The experiment was established in a nursery during the rainy season period (November 2023 to March 2024). The germination  percentage in the whole experiment was very low ranging from 15% to 32 %. Untreated seeds (control) had the highest germination  percent (32%) followed by the seeds that were soaked in warm water 40℃ for 10 minutes (24%). The seeds that were nicked achieved the  lowest germination percent (15%). Statistically the parametric one -way ANOVA shows that there is no significant difference among the  treatments (p=0.230). The low germination percent are partly attributed to various factors such as dormancy, seed rotting due to  waterlogging in a shaded nursery during the rainy season. This study revealed the importance of environmental factors as key  determining factors of P. angolensis germination rate.