Effect of Seed Storage Period and Condition on Viability of Jatropha curcas L. Seed

摘要

The Jatropha curcas L. is a biodiesel rich plant species native to Central America and Mexico and is now naturalized in Ethiopia at farm boundaries and hedges. Owing to increasing demand for fossil fuel and its predicted decline, the importance of alternative energy has been increased in Ethiopia. However, research outcomes lack on period and condition of storing seed of this plant before propagation. This study aims to assess the viability of Jatropha curcas seed when stored in high, middle and lowelevation sites with varying packing material. Matured seeds were collected from vigorous mother trees and air-dried. Seeds were stored at rooms in cool, medium and hot climatic conditions three different packing media in terms of air circulation (sisal,sack and sack with plastic bag) were used. The seed was stored for 450 days in each place. The three climatic categories and three packing media combination created 9 treatments. Germination was tested in a seed germination chamber filled with common soil for nursery seedbed and placed in a glass house. The 9 treatments were arranged in random block design with 3 replications. In each treatment and replication 128 seeds were properly sown. Starting from 4th day of sowing, germination was recorded untilday 35. Variation in germination percent, speed of germination, mean germination time, mean daily germination, peak value and germination value was analyzed using ANOVA and LSD. For all parameters, there was no overall significant variation (at p<0.05).However, when mean of each treatment was compared, treatment 8 has the lowest value. Each treatment showed satisfactory germination (even the lowest was 88%). Thus, we conclude that the seed of Jatropha curcas can be stored for 450 days at rooms in three climatic categories with varying packing material for propagation purposes.