Effect of sulphuric acid on the germination of a forage tree Acacia nilotica (L.) subsp tomentosa

摘要

AcacianiloticaisaligneousforagetreeofthefamilyofFabaceae(Legumes).Thistreehasagreatagro-forester,sylvo-pastoralandnutritionalimportanceinthearidandsemi-aridregionswheretheplantscoverisinapermanentreduction.Thefirstcauseisthelackofreforestationproject.Inaddition,thestageofgerminationforthelegumetreesmeetstheproblemoftheintegumentarydormancy(vernalization)andtheglobalwarmingwhichlimitsthegerminationandtheestablishmentofanimportantplantpopulation.Thegerminationrateinthenatureisonlybetween5and10%accordingtotheforestdepartments.Theeffectofachemicalpretreatmenttoimprovethegerminationwasstudiedbyanalyzing3parameters(germinationkinetics;MGT:germinationmeantime(days)andGRI:germinationrateindex)after4timesofincubation(4,8,12and16days)inPetridishes.Thepretreatmentconsistedofimmersionoftheseedsinconcentratedsulphuricacid(98%)for7durations:0(Control),20,40,60,80,100and120minutes.ForalltheA.niloticaseedstreatedinthisstudy,theincreasingdurationofthesoakinginthesulphuricacidimprovedsignificantly(p0,001)thegerminationbyreducingtheMGTandbyincreasingtheGRI.Thebestgerminationreachedarateof95%,withareducedMGT(1day)andahighGRI(47,33±2,64)for100minutesofsoakinginthesulphuricacid.However,theimmersionduring120minreducedtheGRIto(26,5±1,9).Suchapretreatmentof100ministhusrecommendedtoincreasetherateofgerminationoftheacaciatreesimplantedbytheforestservicesinAlgeria.