EFFECT OF NURSERY PRACTICES ON SEED GERMINATION OF SELECTED DIPTEROCARP SPECIES

Abstract

Effect of nursery practices on germination of six commercially valuable dipterocarp species was studied in three separate experiments in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Effect of substrate, germination site and sowing position of seed on germination of Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, D. kunstleri, Hopea sangal, Shorea faguetiana, S. fallax and S. parvifolia was tested. Shorea parvifolia showed the highest and most stable germination rates over all treatments with mean germination rate of 85%. Hopea sangal (45%) had the highest amount of germinated seeds in river sand or forest topsoil in greenhouse. Shorea fallax (19%) exhibited the highest germination rates in peat and rice husk substrate under shading net. Dipterocarpus grandiflorus and D. kunstleri, with mean germination rates of 13 and 8% respectively, had the lowest germination rates in river sand under shading net. Lying position and position with stalk pointing upwards resulted in the highest germination rates for S. faguetiana (89%). River sand and forest topsoil were the best substrates for lying and stalk pointing upwards positions and peat and rice husk the best substrate for position with stalk pointing downwards. Interaction between seed position and germination site showed that seed germination in greenhouse was stable over all seed positions, whereas seeds with stalk pointing downwards had clearly lower germination rates under shading net. Results of this study indicate that seedlings of many dipterocarp species can. be raised from seeds. The required techniques are simple and appropriate for both small- and large-scale seedling production. However, there is no single procedure for seedling production of different dipterocarp species, but suitable methods have to be developed separately for each species.