Consequences of Hydro-Priming Cola parchycarpa K. Schum. and Cola rostrata K. Schum. Seeds

Hydro-priming is an important seed treatment technique for rapid seed germination. Cola species exhibits long and uneven germination. Hence this study was aimed at investigating the effect of hydro-priming durations on the germination and seedling growth of Cola parchycarpa and Cola rostrata. Five treatments (hydro-priming durations of 0 hour, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours and 96 hours) were used and the experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 6 replicates each. In C. parchycarpa, mean seed germination time of 40.50 days was observed only at 0 hour while there was no germination at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of hydro-priming. In C. rostrata, there was a significant increase in the germination time as the hydro-priming duration increased from 0 h (13.83 d) to 48 h (45.00 d) with decreased germination percentage, while at 72 and 96 h of hydro-priming, germination failed to occur. There was no significant difference at P<0.05 in the seedling growth parameters of C. rostrata at the different hydro-priming durations. Hydropriming of C. parchycarpa and C. rostrata seeds before planting is not recommended for these two Cola species as it result in embryo death of the seeds.