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Germination and initial growth of Guaijí (Couepia subcordata) seedlings under nursery conditions

Abstract:

Couepia subcordata (Chrysobalanaceae) is a forest species that grows wild both on the coast and in the Ecuadorian Amazon. However, its population has been reduced by agricultural expansion. The tree produces a drupe whose pulp is rich in carotenes, still consumed by the population in the field, however the main agronomic parameters to reproduce and preserve the species are unknown. The objective of this work was to estimate germination and seedling initial growth after the application of the following treatments: Scarification, pulp removal and immersion in gibberellic acid solution. In all treatments, a similar number of germinated seeds were recorded, however germination was faster in the treatment of the emulsion in the gibberellic acid solution. Two-months old plants were 8.82 cm tall, had -0.3 cm stem diameters and 3 fully expanded leaves, suggesting that nursery developmet for this species is fast.