Effect of Various Treatments on Germination of Pecan Seed

Pecan (Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch.), often called sweet pecan, is an important source of valuable wood and a very desirable wildlife food. Since this species usually does not form pure stands, and its natural regeneration consists mainly of scattered individuals, establishment of stands for management would require an artificial regeneration by direct seeding or planting of seedlings. Nuts that fall in October or November rarely germinate before late April. This long period between seedfall and germination exposes the nuts to animal predation and rot. Various preplanting treatments to break seed dormancy have been recommended. The method most widely used is stratification in sand, peat, or loamy soil at 35-45° F. for 30-90 days (Anonymous 1948, Gossard and Crane 1946). McHatton and Woodruff (1926) reported that soaking the nuts for as much as 20 seconds in concentrated H2SO4 seriously impaired seedling growth. Soaking in NaOH and NH4OH from 1 to 10 minutes sometimes improved germination, as- did exposure to NH4OH fumes for 24 to 96 hours. In the same study, hot water soakings impaired or prevented germination; nuts exposed to fumes of nitric acid were killed. This experiment explored the effect of various chemical treatments upon germination of stratified and unstratified pecan nuts.

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Author(s): M. Victor Bilan, C. Darwin Foster

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 21, Number 2 (1970)

Volume: 21

Number: 2