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Effect of Seed Size (and Spacing) on the Germination and growth of Moluccan sau [Albizia falcotaria (L.)] Fosh.] Seedling
Thesis Abstract:
The study aimed to test the hyphotesis that bigger seeds will have higher percentage of germination and produce healthier and bigger seedlings than smaller ones.
Narrow, medium and wide Moluccan sau seeds were sown directly into pots arranged at four different spacing (5 x5 cm, 10 x 5 cm, 15 x 5 cm and 10 x 10 cm) in the nursery. This study was 3 x 4 factorial experiment in completely randomized design with 4 replications. Data were collected on seed germination, seedling growth, and the soil. A complementary study was made to obtain possible explanation for the effect of different seed size on germination percentage.
Result of the study demonstrate that wider seeds had higher germination only if they were of high quality. If shrivelled and other low quality seeds were not excluded, there would be more germination in the narrower seed category. Wider seeds generally produced heaver seedlings, apparently bacause of the bigger cotyledon which supplied more food nutrients to the embryo and gave greater photosynthetic area
Closer spacing (5 x 5 cm) resulted in the production of bigger and heavier seedlings than wider spacing (5 x 15 cm and 10 x 10 cm). This was apparently due to the higher temperature at wider spacing and possiblyalso to the greater leaching of nutrients in the potted soils during watering.
Soaking the seeds in initially warm water (37.8°C) for 12 hours was a more effective pregermintation treatment: than dipping them in initially boiling water for 1.5 minutes.