Germination traits of Prosopis alba from different provenances

Abstract

Seed germination traits may vary among populations and this knowledge may have important implications in conservation and restoration programmes. Here, we evaluated seed mass, germination capacity at different temperatures under light and dark conditions, and germination rate of Prosopis alba seeds of four provenances from within Argentina (Salta, Formosa, Chaco and Santiago del Estero). Seeds from the four provenances exhibited low germination percentages at the lowest temperature (10/5ºC), whereas at the remaining thermoperiods (20/10ºC, 25/15ºC and 35/20ºC), seeds from all the provenances had high germination percentages, especially Salta and Formosa seeds, which showed the highest values. In addition, Salta seeds exhibited the highest germination rate and seed mass