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Variation in seed traits and seedling vigour of Cordia africana Lam. provenances in Ethiopia

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Abstract

Cordia africana is a very important indigenous tree species for timber and other products and services in Ethiopia. Seed traits and seedling vigour of seeds from 12 provenances of the species were compared. Mean seed mass for each provenance was assessed for 1000 seeds in 10 replications, and seed length and width were measured for 100 seeds in four replications per provenance. Germination was assessed in a glasshouse taking 400 seeds from each provenance. Root collar diameter and height of 440 seedlings grown in a nursery for 290 days in Addis Ababa were measured. Seed length, seed width, seed mass, and shoot height and root collar diameter of seedlings showed significant differences (P < 0.001) among provenances. Correlation analysis between seed and seedling traits and environmental variables revealed significant positive correlations between seed width and germination percentage, seed width and altitude, seed width and longitude and seed length and latitude. Negative correlations were obtained between seed width and temperature, seed width and rainfall, seed mass and temperature, and germination and temperature of the seed source. As expected, differences in seed trait did not explain the variability in seedling vigour. Determining quantitative variations in seed traits and seedling vigour among provenances and the patterns along environmental gradients are essential for informing decisions on the tree improvement programme of the species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the whole Tree Improvement Team of the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute for all their support. We are also greatly indebted to the three anonymous reviewers for their critique and inputs. This work was supported by the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute as part of the tree improvement programme for the species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute, P. O. Box 30708, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Abayneh Derero, Genene Tesfaye & Zewdie Woldemariam

Authors
  1. Abayneh Derero
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  2. Genene Tesfaye
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  3. Zewdie Woldemariam
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abayneh Derero.

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Project funding: This work was supported by the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute as part of the Tree Improvement Programme for the species.

The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com.

Corresponding editor: Zhu Hong.

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Derero, A., Tesfaye, G. & Woldemariam, Z. Variation in seed traits and seedling vigour of Cordia africana Lam. provenances in Ethiopia. J. For. Res. 28, 925–933 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-016-0317-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-016-0317-z

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