EFFECTS OF MOISTURE STRESS ON GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLING GROWTH OF THREE ACACIA SPECIES AND BALANITES AEGYPTIACA (L.) DEL.

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dc.contributor.authorGOTAN, YILLEK SIMON
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-25T08:47:41Z
dc.date.available2014-02-25T08:47:41Z
dc.date.issued2007-11
dc.descriptionA THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES FACULTY OF SCIENCES AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA NIGERIA NOVEMBER, 2007en_US
dc.description.abstractExperiments were conducted in the laboratory and screen house to determine the effects of moisture stress on germination and early seedlings growth of four savanna plants species namely; Acacia albida, A. senegal, A.nilotica and Balanites aegyptiaca. Raising seedlings for afforestation programmes in the savanna region of Nigeria has been a problem because the seedlings used do not survive the long dry periods experienced because they are exotic species. This research determines the effect of moisture stress on the germination of three Acacia species and B. aegyptiaca and to evaluate some growth parameters at the early seedlings stage exposed to four moisture stress levels. The experimental protocol used a complete randomize design with three replications. Laboratory experiment used ten seeds from each species and their dry weights determine, placed in 9cm diameter Petri dishes lined with Whatman No.1 filter paper that had been autoclave, kept near a beaker contain boiled water and covered by a bell jar for two house. The differences between the dry seeds weight and imbibed weight after two hours gave the imbibition rate. Seed coat diameter were measured with micro meter screw guage. Radicle elongation of ten seeds from each species were measured for; 24, 48,72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 hours. The screen house experiment used 200cm3 plastic pots, four plant species, four moisture levels and three replications. Two seeds per pots were sown, the potted plants were arranged in four blocks of each containing 48 pots. Destructive harvesting was carried out fortnightly eight times to determine seedlings growth attributes. Acacia senegal had the highest imbibition rate, this indicates its thinnest seed coat diameter provided faster movement of water into these seeds. Balanites. aegyptiaca had the maximum radicle elongation after 144 hours; being the largest seeds were able to absorbed more water that permitted longer radicle elongation. Seedlings growth attributes varied significantly (P≤ 0.05) in response to the four moisture levels. Acacia albida seedlings had the highest significant root length at the slight (M1) and moderate (M2) moisture stress treatments. This indicated that the slight and the moderate moisture stress treatment stimulated their roots length. Acacia senegal had the highest significant (P≤0.05) shoot and root length increase at the severe moisture stress treatment (M3). This suggest that exposure of these seedlings to severe moisture stress benefited the shoot and root growth. Acacia nilotica had the highest shoot length, root length and shoot dry weight at the control treatment M0. This probably indicates that these seedlings needed more water during the early seedlings growth. Balanites aegyptiaca had the least growth attributes at all the four moisture stress treatments, indicates that these seedlings grow slowly at any moisture stress treatment in the early seedlings growth. The main interaction (weeks after sowing X plant species, weeks after sowing X moisture levels, plant species X moisture levels, weeks after sowing X plant species X moisture levels) were all significant (P≤ 0.05) for the growth attributes studied. The correlation between the growth parameters in each species was significant (P≤ 0. 05 and 0. 01) except in shoot/root ratio that exhibited non significant association. These seedlings growth attributes could be used for screening nursery stock for afforestation programmes in the savanna region of Nigeria.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2464
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectEFFECTS,en_US
dc.subjectMOISTURE,en_US
dc.subjectSTRESS,en_US
dc.subjectGERMINATION,en_US
dc.subjectSEEDLING,en_US
dc.subjectGROWTH,en_US
dc.subjectTHREE,en_US
dc.subjectACACIA SPECIES,en_US
dc.subjectBALANITES AEGYPTIACA (L.) DEL.en_US
dc.titleEFFECTS OF MOISTURE STRESS ON GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLING GROWTH OF THREE ACACIA SPECIES AND BALANITES AEGYPTIACA (L.) DEL.en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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