Germination of Sophora chrysophylla increased by presowing treatment

Abstract

Increasing germination of Sophora chrysophylla seed over current levels is an important step in reforesting portions of the mamane-naio forests on the slopes of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Three types of seedground, old pod, and new pod, were collected at four different sites and shipped to the U.S. Forest Service's Eastern Tree Seed Laboratory, Macon, Georgia, for germination tests. Seeds were subjected to three stratification regimes-cool-wet, cool-dry, and no stratification. Six seed coat treatments were applied to stratified seed: add soak, mechanical scarification, hot water soak, dry heat, cool water soak, and control. Factorial analyses indicated that among these variables only acid or mechanical scarification of the seed coat was a reliable means of significantly increasing germination. Results were too ambiguous to draw conclusions about the effect of site, seed type, and stratification regime on germination. Because cool-wet stratification caused seed to rot, it should not be used as a presowing treatment. Oxford: 176.1 Sophora chrysophylla: 232.318.

Citation

Scowcroft, Paul G. 1978. Germination of Sophora chrysophylla increased by presowing treatment. Res. Note PSW-327, 6 p., illus. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric., Berkeley, Calif.