Effect of seed size of Berchemia discolor (Klotcsch) Hemsl. on germination and seedling growth. BY MUNASHE KEITH FRANK CHAKAMANGA R145178G A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology Department of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology Faculty of Science and Technology June 2018 i Table of Contents Table of contents …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..i List of tables ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....iv List of figures………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….v Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………vi Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….vii Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 JUSTIFICATION ............................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4.1 Main Objective: ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.4.2 Specific Objectives: ..................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 6 2.1 History of Berchemia discolor ............................................................................................................ 7 2.2 BOTANIC DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................ 7 2.3 BIOLOGY........................................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 ECOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.5 BIOPHYSICAL LIMITS .................................................................................................................... 9 2.6 SEED SCARIFICATION ................................................................................................................... 9 2.7 FACTORS THAT AFFECT SEEDLING GROWTH ...................................................................... 10 2.7.1 RAINFALL AND WATER ....................................................................................................... 10 2.7.2 LIGHT ........................................................................................................................................ 11 2.7.3 TEMPERATURE....................................................................................................................... 11 2.7.4 AIR ............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.7.5 RELATIVE HUMIDITY ........................................................................................................... 13 2.7.6 WIND AS CLIMATIC FACTOR .............................................................................................. 14 2.8 IMPORTANCE OF Berchemia discolor .......................................................................................... 15 2.8.1 NUTRITIONAL VALUE .......................................................................................................... 15 2.8.2 INCOME GENERATION ......................................................................................................... 16 2.8.3 MEDICINAL VALUE ............................................................................................................... 17 i CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS .............................................................................. 18 3.1. STUDY SITE ................................................................................................................................... 18 PARAMETERS THAT WERE ASSESSED .......................................................................................... 19 3.2. SOURCES OF MATERIAL ............................................................................................................ 19 3.2.1 SEED COLLECTION................................................................................................................ 19 3.3 MATERIAL SELECTION ............................................................................................................... 19 3.4 SEED VIABILITY TESTING .......................................................................................................... 20 3.5.1 METHODS FOR BREAKING DORMANCY .............................................................................. 21 3.5.2 THE CONTROL ........................................................................................................................ 21 GERMINATION AND TREATMENTS ............................................................................................... 22 3.6.1 PREPARATION OF SEEDS ..................................................................................................... 22 3.6.2 SEED CONTAINERS ............................................................................................................... 22 3.6.3 MEDIA PREPARATION .......................................................................................................... 23 3.6.4 INCUBATION ........................................................................................................................... 23 3.7 SOWING........................................................................................................................................... 23 3.8 DETERMINATION OF SEED GERMINATION ........................................................................... 24 3.9 DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 26 4.1 SEED GERMINATION PERCENTAGE RATE ............................................................................. 26 4.3 PLANT HEIGHT AND ROOT COLLAR DIAMETER .................................................................. 27 4.4 SEEDLING SURVIVAL .................................................................................................................. 28 4.4 INTERACTION BETWEEN PARAMETERS ................................................................................ 29 CHAPTER FIVE: ....................................................................................................................................... 30 DISCUSION ........................................................................................................................................... 30 5.1 GERMINATION PERFORMANCE ................................................................................................ 30 5.2 HEIGHT AND ROOT COLLAR DIAMETER GROWTH ............................................................. 32 5.3 SEEDLING MORTALITY .............................................................................................................. 34 5.4 CORRELATION OF SEED SIZE WITH SEEDLING PARAMETERS ......................................... 35 5.5 DORMANCY ................................................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................. 37 6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................. 37 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER 8: APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................... 45 APPENDIX 1: SPSS output for germination percentages ...................................................................... 45 APPENDIX 2: SPSS output tests for survival rates................................................................................ 46 ii APPENDIX 3: ......................................................................................................................................... 47 APPENDIX 4: ......................................................................................................................................... 48 APPENDIX 5: ......................................................................................................................................... 49 APPENDIX 6: ......................................................................................................................................... 50 APPENDIX