Early nursery performance of Acacia Seyal from different provenances in in Hawassa Zuria District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Understanding variations in seed traits and seedling vigor in various populations of a given species is vital. The main objective of this study was to evaluate seedling growth performance of Acacia seyal tree provenances and determine the best-performing provenances. Seeds were collected from (Shaba, Halaba, Loka Abaya, Arsi Negele, Megabi, Meraro, Dangla, Negele Borana, Metema, Chiro, Debrebirhan, Arbaminch, and Ziway) areas. One hundred polyethylene pots, having a 10 cm height and an 8 cm diameter for each provenance, were filled with a 2:1:1 ratio of local soil, forest soil, and sand composition. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD), 5 × 4 polyethylene pots in 4 replications of 20 polyethylene pots, was used, and the pots were sown at the Hawassa Zuria nursery site. Germination, seedling height, collar diameter, number of leaf pairs, dry mass of fresh leaves, roots, and stems, and oven-dried leaves, stems, and roots were brought to 72°C for 48 hours. The collected data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at p < 0.05. Results of the experiment revealed that Acacia seyal varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the provenances with respect to seedling height, root length, number of leaf pairs, and RCD. The seedling height ranged from 22.4 cm to 10.3 cm, with the highest mean height recorded from the Loka Abaya provenance (22.4 cm); Arbaminch (10.3 cm) had the least mean height. In terms of fresh and dry-weight biomass, statistically higher leaf, branch, and root dry-weight biomasses were recorded from the Megabi, Loka Abaya, and Halaba provenances, respectively. The provenances from Loka Abaya, Negele Borana, and Dangla had good adaptation potential.