Germination requirements and storage behavior of Myristica dactyloides Gaertn. seeds

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the storage behavior and germination requirements of Myristica dactyloides seeds. The trials involved desiccation of fresh mature seeds to different me levels, low temperature tolerance, effects of growth promoters and germination substrates. The results show that germination was significantly reduced upon drying and non-desiccated seeds did not tolerate low temperature storage; indicating that seeds of M. dactyloides are recalcitrant. Exogenous application of GA(3) and IBA (1000 ppm for 24 hours) resulted in significantly higher percentage germination than untreated seeds that were failed to germinate at all. This indicates that seeds of M. dactyloides are not only recalcitrant but also exhibit dormancy. As a whole, non-desiccated seeds (34% me) pretreated with IBA maintained 100% viability after three months of storage at 20 degrees C. Percentage germination was significantly higher for seeds sown on germination paper, cotton towel or sponge sheet than other substrates. It can be concluded that the critical moisture content below which M. dactyloides seeds should not be dried is 34%. Seeds can be stored at 20 degrees C for three months without deleterious effect on viability. For better germination, exogenous applications of growth promoters prior to sowing and good aeration conditions are recommended.