f The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) was established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament. Its mandate is to help identify agricultural problems in developing countries and to commission collaborative research between Aus­ tralian and developing country researchers in fields where Australia has a special research competence. Where trade names are used this does not constitute endorsement of nor discrimination against any product by the Centre. ACIAR PROCEEDINGS This series of publications includes the full proceedings of research workshops or symposia organised or supported by ACIAR. Numbers in this series are distributed internationally to selected individuals and scientific institutions. Previous numbers in the series are listed on the inside back cover. " Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research G.P.O. Box 1571. Canberra, ACT 2601 Turnbull, J. W. 1990.Tropical tree seed research: proceedings of an international workshop held at the Forestry Training Centre, Gympie, Qld, Australia, 21-24 August 1989. ACIAR Proceedings No. 28, 156 p. ISBN 186320 004 5 Technical Editing: Janet Lawrence Typeset and laid out by: Abb-typesetting Pty Ltd, Collingwood, Vic. Printed by: Brown Prior Anderson Pty Ltd, Burwood, Vie. Tropical Tree Seed Research Proceedings of an international workshop held at the Forestry Training Centre, Gympie, Qld, Australia, 21-24 August 1989 Editor: J.W. Turnbull Host: International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) Seed Problems Working Group Cosponsors: Australian International Development Assistance Bureau Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products Queensland Department of Forestry Organising Committee: Chairman: Stephen J. Midgley, CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products Members: John C. Doran, CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products Tim K. Vercoe, CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products Brian V. Gunn, CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products John W. Turnbull, AClAR Russell Haines, Queensland Department of Forestry Contents Foreword 5 Acknowledgments 6 Opening Address 7 Introductory Paper Tree seed in forest development S.J. Midgley 10 Seed Biology Seed and pollen cone production in Larix occidentalis R.C Shearer 14 Sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) and its seed problems in Indonesia Masano 18 Attacks by spermatophageous insects on the seed of three acacias - A. albida, A. nilotica var. adansonii and A. senegal H. Sary and L.M. Some 21 Seed development and germination responses of Melia azedarach var. australasica M.W. Moncur and B.V. Gunn 24 The influence of temperature on germination of Melia volkensii seeds P.B. Milimo and A.K. Helium 29 Effects of seed pretreatments on the development of Acacia auriculiformis and A. holosericea seedlings C.T. Marunda 33 A study of the causes of poor germination of Anogeissus leiocarpus seeds L.M. Some, CS. Gamene and H. Verwey 37 Examining seed coat characteristics with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy J.A. Vozzo 41 Seed Testing Germination pretreatments for selected acacia species from the Pilbara region of Western Australia B.V. Gunn 46 Seed technology problems of sandalwood in Indonesia Dayanto Utomo, Sri Sugiharti, Erizal and Tajudin Komar 51 Methods for seed quality control for Pinus elliotii var. elliotii M. Alvarez, V. Kuhfuss and G. Romero 55 Testing Chinese fir seeds by seedling vigour classification on vertical plates Chen Yousheng and Chen Zhijian 58 Accelerated aging: a potential vigour test for multipurpose tree seeds W.W. Elam and CA. Blanche 63 Evaluating seed quality of Peltophorum pterocarpum by x-radiography and germination O. Chaichanasuwat, B.S.P. Wang and P. Wasuwanich 68 3 Testing of subtropical and tropical forest tree seeds by x-radiography M. Simak 72 High-voltage electron microscopy of cell walls in Pinus taeda seeds J.A. Vozzo and Min J. Song 78 Seed Processing and Storage Methodology and costs for treatment of Parkia biglobosa fruits L.M. Some, H. Verwey and M. Sacande 82 Effects of temperature and seed moisture content on the storage of Dendroealamus brandisii seeds P. Boonarutee and K. Somboon 86 Storage of recalcitrant seeds: past, present and future H.F. Chin 89 Predicting the storage life of orthodox tropical forest tree seeds P.B. Tompsett 93 lDS-sedimentation of Cupressus lusitanica seeds U. Bergsten and M. Sundberg 99 Investigation of mycoflora and pathology of fungi present on stored seeds of Australian trees Yuan Z. Qing, K.M. Old and S.J. Midgley 103 Country Reports An overview of the National Tree Seed Centre, Papua New Guinea N.H.S. Howcroft 112 Seed improvement of multipurpose tree species in Nepal, with special reference to forage species J .A. Mackenzie, P. Robinson and H.S. Shrestha 118 Germplasm exchange of multipurpose trees: an Indian perspective B.P. Singb and R.S. Rana 121 Improving the forest seed situation in some African countries S.K. Kamra 126 Seed testing research on species indigenous to Kenya C. Scbaefer 132 Germination problems of some multipurpose indigenous tree seeds in Tanzania LM. Sbehaghilo 140 Seed research on Teetona grandis in India A.K. Kandya and Savita Kandya 142 Recommendations and Reports Recommendations for research into seed problems of multipurpose trees and shrubs C. Schaefer, S.J. Midgley, P.B. Milimo and B.V. Gunn 148 Final Report: A system for classification of seed literature in forestry M. Simak 151 Participants 153 4 Foreword As populations increase and there is greater pressure on the environment, trees and shrubs are being planted outside traditional forest areas. They play a promi­ nent part in maintaining the sustainability of many tropical land use systems while providing timber, fuel wood, forage, tannin, medicines, honey and many other products. The demand for high quality seed of the so-called multipurpose trees and shrubs cannot be met at present and the detrimental consequences of using poor seed can be major and long-term. The supply of tree seed of an adequate genetic and physiological quality poses a major challenge for national and international agen­ cies and research to support this effort is particularly important. It is especially crucial to develop well based techniques to guarantee seed supplies of the many lesser-known trees and shrubs that have the potential to make a contribution to tropical reforestation programs. Australia, in collaboration with institutions in many tropical countries, has been making a significant contribution to identifying trees and shrubs suitable for meeting the diverse needs of rural communities. The supply of seed for much of this research has been provided by the Australian Tree Seed Centre in Canberra, part of the CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products. It was therefore appropriate that staff of the Division should take the lead in organising an inter­ national workshop to bring together scientists to focus on the seed problems of multipurpose trees. The workshop is the latest in a very successful series run under the auspices of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) Working Group on Seed Problems. The Australian International Devel­ opment Assistance Bureau (AIDAB) provided substantial support for the meeting as part of its 'Seeds of Australian Trees' project and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) sponsored these proceedings. The meeting provided a valuable forum for the 50 scientists who came from Australia and 22 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe to share experiences and identify areas of high priority in tropical tree seed research. G.H.L. Rothschild Director AClAR 5 Acknowledgments THE IUFRO Working Group on Seed Problems wishes to thank the workshop organising committee for ensuring that all facets of the four-day meeting and the post-conference tour proceeded smoothly. The workshop local organisers - Stephen Midgley, Tim Vercoe, Brian Gunn, John Doran, Kron Aken, Debbie Reynolds, Michelle Park, Ursula Schweiger, Anne Griffin, Russell Haines, Graham Appiegate, Bob Pearce, Mark Dieters, AlfSaid, Keith Gould, Linda Hur­ ford, Denis Sinkovich and Greg Tilse - deserve special thanks. The Group also extends its appreciation to Janet Lawrence for the editorial direction and preparation of these proceedings. 6 Opening Address THE Queensland Department of Forestry is pleased to be involved in the organ­ isation of this symposium on tropical tree seed, and I am personally honoured to be invited to officiate. I believe that Queensland is a very appropriate venue for a symposium on this topic, and I base this belief partly on our broad involvement in tropical forestry over many decades. By virtue of climate, our interests have been predominantly in the use and establishment of subtropical and tropical species. Our operations have encom­ passed both the management of natural forests - including rainforests, wet and dry sclerophyll forests dominated by eucalypts, and the Callitris forests of the inland - and the establishment and management of plantations. The major taxa involved in our plantation programs have been Araucaria cunninghamii, and tropical and subtropical Pinus species and hybrids, in particular P. caribaea var. hondurensis and P. elliottii. The development in Queensland of a high level of expertise in tropical forest management has been promoted by the obligatory independence from the other state forestry services. whose interests have necessarily been centred on cooler