Pre-sowing treatments for enhancing germination of Guibortia coleosperma and Amblygonocarpus andongensis seeds from Kazuma Forest Reserve, Botswana

Abstract

The effect of seed presowing treatment on Guibortia coleosperma and Amblygonocarpus andongensis was investigated. Seeds of both species were subjected to four experiments, containing 10 levels of presowing treatments: mechanical scarification, soaking in concentrated sulphuric acid (for 15, 30, 45 and 60 min), immersion in boiling water (for 1, 3 and 5 min), and soaking in boiling water (and cooling down for 24 h) and the control. The germination data were subjected to ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test to separate significantly different treatment means. The highest germination in G coleosperma was recorded: mechanical scarified seeds, those soaked in sulphuric acid (15, 30, 45 and 60 min), hot water (and cooling down for 24 h) and the control seeds. For A. andongensis, seeds treated with mechanical scarification, exposure to sulphuric acid (15, 30, 45 and 60 min) and boiling water (1 min) had higher percent germination than the controls.