EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SEED TREATMENTS OF MAGARYA (ZIZIPHUS MUARITIANA.) AND SEEDLING MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTIC

Abstract

The study was conducted in the nursery unit of Faculty of Agriculture, Teaching and Research Farm, Bayero University, Kano. Completely randomized design was used to evaluate the effect of seed treatment on seedling propagation, four (4) different pre-planting seed treatments were used in a completely randomized design with twelve 12 replications per treatment, the objective of the study was determined the effect of seed treatment on its seedling propagation, the germination percentage of abrasion and acid scarified seed at 2 weeks were recorded as 100%, while Acid scarification, hot and treatment cold water stratification were recorded as 60%. The result showed that abrasion method of seed treatment has a significant effect (P<0.05) on plant height and leaf number. The result also revealed an increasing trend on plant height (P<0.05) from week 3 to week 9. The effect of period on the number of leaf was significant (P<0.05) only at week 9, while others were comparable. Plant Regression analysis result showed significant (P<0.01) increase in height as described by equation Y= 1.17 + 0.316x. While leaf number tend to declined as described by the equation Y= 1.17-0.09x .The study is therefore important in making recommendations to improve Ziziphus muaritiana and other hard coated seeds propagation.