THE EFFECT OF PRE-SOWING TREATMENT AND SEED SIZES ON THE GERMINATION OF Canarium schweinfurthii (Engl.) SEEDS IN JOS PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

Abstract
Canarium schweinfurthii (Engl.), a forest tree from the Burseraceae family, is valued across Africa for its medicinal uses, including treating dysentery, coughs, chest pain, and skin conditions. This study examined the impact of various pre-sowing treatments on breaking seed dormancy and enhancing the development of C. schweinfurthii in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, from January to July 2023. Fieldwork at the Federal College of Forestry (latitude 9.5650380 N, longitude 8.533409 E) utilized a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) with 18 treatment combinations replicated three times, resulting in 54 plots. Six pre-sowing treatments were evaluated: control (Untreated), hot water soaking, cold-water soaking for 48 hours, sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) soaking, coconut water soaking for 12 hours, and mechanical abrasion. Parameters assessed included germination count, seedling height, leaf count, stem girth, leaf length, and width. Mechanical abrasion and cold-water treatment significantly improved germination and seedling growth (P≤0.05), with germination counts of 3.556 and 2.778, respectively, at 25 weeks after planting. Conversely, hot water treatment was least effective, with a germination count of 0.333 and negligible influence on seedling parameters. The study concludes that cold-water soaking for 48 hours and mechanical abrasion are the most effective techniques for breaking C. schweinfurthii seed dormancy. These findings contribute to optimizing the propagation of this valuable species, supporting agroforestry and conservation initiatives.