Accelerated Ageing Tests of Nauclea diderrichii Seeds: Evaluating Seed Vigour from Different Forest Provenances to Aid Plus-trees Selection in Ghana

Asomaning, Joseph M.; Amponsah, James Oppong; Peprah, Theresa; Owusu, Selina Achiaa; Opoku-Kwar, Christian; Ofori, Daniel

doi:10.3923/rjss.2020.1.8

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…It is suggested that seed nutrient composition could vary with the amount and availability of nutrients to mother plants (Carón et al, 2014; De Frenne et al, 2011). The low‐seed shedding moisture of less than 12% obtained for all provenances is characteristic of seeds with orthodox storage behavior (Asomaning, 2018). Such seeds undergo maturation drying and can remain viable in ex‐situ storage over extended periods (Amponsah et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature and soil nutrients drive seed traits variation in Pterocarpus erinaceus (African rosewood) in Ghana

Ansah,

Addo‐Danso,

Belford

et al. 2023

Plant Enviro Interactions

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Among plant populations, variation in seed traits has important consequences on species recruitment and performance under different environmental conditions. Knowing such variations and understanding its environmental drivers could help with conservation efforts that protect against the loss of diversity. This information is however lacking in the extinction‐threatened Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir (African rosewood) in Ghana. Here, we assessed variation in seed set, seed morphological and chemical traits, germinability, and seedling growth of African rosewood from four distant provenances (Tumu, Wa, Carpenter, and Ejura) in Ghana. We sought to answer how local environmental conditions influence the expression of seed traits by examining the relationship between seed traits and maternal environmental factors (temperature, rainfall, soil nutrient, and vegetation index) using regression models and correlation analysis. Seed size, mass, and nutrient composition differed considerably among provenances. Seed size and mass increased as the seed source moved further away from the forest‐savanna transition toward the Guineo‐Sudanian savanna regions. Temperature mainly accounted for the variability observed in seed traits. Phenology curves of the seed source vegetation expressed a strong correlation with monthly rainfall. Overall, the occurrence of samara containing whole seeds was low (<50%) except for Tumu provenance. Seeds were rich in carbohydrate and crude protein content consistent with most leguminous plants while mean percentage germination ranged between 30 and 62% among provenances. Our results highlight the adaptive strategies of African rosewood to different environments through the expression of their seed traits and suggest the need for priority action to maintain its conservation.

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