Evaluation of seed germination, viability and seedling growth performance of Juniperus procera provenances in Amhara and Oromia Regions, Ethiopia

In the Ethiopian highlands, church forests play a crucial role in landscape restoration and the conservation of endangered native tree species and biodiversity. This study aimed to assess germination, seed viability, seedling growth, and seed status in ruminant church forests to determine their potential as local seed sources for the conservation of the endangered Juniperus procera. Seeds of J. procera were collected locally from church forests such as Warkaye Mariam, Yedogit Michael, and Adisge Abo. For comparison, seeds were also purchased from the Central Ethiopia Centre (CEC) in Addis Ababa, which sourced from Jimma Zone in Agaro. All seed sources were subjected to a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. All the required parameters were measured and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed significant variations in seed viability, width, and 1000 seed weight in the laboratory, with statistical significance at P < 0.01, P < 0.05, and P < 0.01, respectively. In both nursery and field settings, J.procera seedlings from Adisge Abo demonstrated the best seedling growth performance and survival rates. Thus, it was concluded that seeds locally collected from Adisge Abo represent the best seed source for the future genetic resource conservation,which has implication for the conservation of mother trees and the development of a comprehensive forest management plan to sustain the local seed source.