Enhancing germination and seedling quality in Terminalia myriocarpa van Heurck and Muell-Arg (Hollock) under nursery conditions

Terminalia myriocarpa (Hollock) is an economically and ecologically important forest species with considerable potential for plantation development and ecological restoration. Despite its importance, information on its germination behaviour and nursery management practices remains limited. Therefore, the present study was conducted under nursery conditions to assess the combined effects of growing media and pre-treatments on seed germination and seedling growth performance of T. myriocarpa. Seeds were exposed to four pre-treatments namely; H2SO4 (10%), cold water, hot water (70 °C), and GA3 (500ppm), along with control. The seed exposed to pre-treatments were sown in four growing media viz; forest soil, potting mixture (soil: sand: FYM, 2:1:1), vermiculite, and sand. Significant variations (P < 0.0001) were observed among treatment combinations for germination percentage (GP), germination energy (GE) and mean germination time (MGT). The highest GP (50.00%) was recorded in M3T4 (vermiculite + hot water), while the maximum GE was observed in M4T5 (sand + GA3). Seedling growth parameters also differed significantly across the treatment combinations (P < 0.0001), with maximum seedling height recorded in M4T2 (sand + H2SO4), root length in M3T2 (vermiculite + H2SO4), stem collar diameter (SCD) in M1T3 (forest soil + cold water) and number of leaves in M2T3 (potting mixture + cold water). Among seedling quality indicators, the seedling vigour index varied significantly (P < 0.0001) among treatments, with the highest vigour index recorded in M3T4 (vermiculite + hot water), whereas the highest Dickson’s Quality Index was recorded in M2T2 (potting mixture + H2SO4). Overall, the study demonstrates that appropriate combinations of pre-treatments and growing media can substantially enhance GP and seedling growth performance of T. myriocarpa, supporting the production of high-quality seedling stock for plantation establishment and sustainable forest restoration.