Germination and sensitivity to desiccation of

Introduction. As a step in the process of Cola anomala domestication, investigations were undertaken on germination requirements and desiccation tolerance of its seeds. Materials and methods. Three seed provenances (Bamenda, Bayangam and Dschang), three substrates (forest top soil, river sand and a mixture of forest top soil and river sand) and two photoperiods (12 h day-1 and continuous darkness) were investigated for their effects on seed germination. To evaluate their desiccation tolerance, fresh seeds were dried at room temperature (24 ± 1 °C) for 16 days during which seed moisture content, seed germination percentage and electrical conductivity of seed leachate were monitored at two-day intervals. Results and discussion. Germination rates were significantly (P< 0.05) higher both on forest top soil alone (86.04 ± 4.8%), and on a mixture of forest top soil and river sand (83.56 ± 4.5%) than on river sand alone (69.96 ± 4.7%). Seeds from Bamenda had the highest germination (91.4 ± 4.7%) compared to those from Bayangam (77.36 ± 4.7%) or Dschang (70.8 ± 4.8%). As response to seed drying, the mean germination rate started to slightly decrease as moisture got lost, then considerably decreased when moisture content was below 50%. No germination was observed from 32.24% seed moisture. Electrical conductivity of seed leachate exhibited a strong correlation with loss of viability as well as with desiccation. Conclusion. There is a significant variation in germination responses between C. anomala seed batches The best substrate for germination is forest top soil supplemented or not with river sand in a 1/1 (v/v) ratio. The seeds of C. anomala are particularly desiccation-sensitive which is a significant constraint for conservation storage