The role of skill in successful germination of Melia volkensii seeds

Melia volkensii (Melia), locally known as Mukau in Kenya, is an important indigenous dryland forestry species. The species is propagated primarily through seeds, with germination percentage ranging from 40-90%. Successful germination of seeds of forestry species requires skillful application of appropriate pre-sowing treatments. Studies that document and quantify the effect of skill/experience on the germination outcomes for tree seeds are rare. This study sought to fill this gap by documenting the results from a capacity building exercise on testing M. volkensii seeds. Seeds were collected from the KEFRI Kibwezi seed orchard, pretreated and sown by seven participants with different skill levels based on years of experience. The seeds were sown in glasshouse and nursery conditions. There were significant differences (p < 0.001) in germination capacity, mean germination time, T50, mean germination rate, mean daily germination (MDG) and peak value (PV) depending on the skill level of the participants. The results also varied between germination environment (p < 0.001) for all germination traits except MGD and T50. The highest germination outcomes were recorded for participants with the longest experience in testing of M. volkensii seed germination. These findings therefore signify the importance of skill/experience in germination of M. volkensii seeds, an outcome that may have implications for other forestry seeds with special pre-sowing requirements.