STORAGE AND PRE-SOWING TREATMENT AFFECT SEED GERMINATION OF Cinnamomum balansae H. LEC TREE
LE VAN QUANG *
Silviculture Research Institute, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.
NGUYEN VIEN
Forest Science Centre of North Central Vietnam, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Doan Hung, Phu Tho, Vietnam.
HOANG VAN THANG
Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
DAO THI HUYEN
Silviculture Research Institute, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam .
BUI KIEU HUNG
Silviculture Research Institute, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.
NGUYEN VAN THO
Forest Science Centre of North Central Vietnam, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Doan Hung, Phu Tho, Vietnam.
VO DAI NGUYEN
Silviculture Research Institute, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.
TRAN VAN DO
Silviculture Research Institute, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Cinnamomum balansae H. Lec. is an endemic forest tree species of Vietnam. The species has valuable essential oil and timber used for furniture. Growing this species has a high potential for poverty reduction in mountainous areas. Therefore, the effects of storage and pre-sowing treatment on seed germination of C. balansae were studied. Three treatments of seed storage included in a refrigerator at 5oC, room condition, and moisture sand. Three temperature levels for pre-sowing treatment included 30oC, 40oC, and 50oC waters. The results indicated that seeds stored in a refrigerator at 5oC had the highest germination rate of 75.7% after 15 days. However, the rate was still lower than the control (84.3%) by sowing seeds immediately after collecting from mother trees. The longer storage duration led to a lower seed germination rate in all three treatments. Seeds treated in 30oC water for 6 hours had the highest germination rate (84%). While seed germination reduced with increased temperature. In conclusion, seeds of C. balansae must be sown right after collecting from mother trees. Before sowing to the sand bed, seeds should be treated by soaking in 30oC water for 6 hours.
Keywords: Endemic species, essential oil, low-temperature storage, sowing condition, temperature treatment