Pre-germination treatments on Ochetophila trinervis, a native Andean tree with potential use for restoration Germinación de semillas de Ochetophila trinervis, árbol nativo de los Andes Centrales con uso potencial de restauración

ALVAREZ, LEANDRO MANUEL; RIVEROS, CECILIA VEGA; VILLAGRA, PABLO EUGENIO

REVISTA DE LA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS AGRARIAS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CUYO

UNIV NACIONAL CUYO

Año: 2022 vol. 54 p. 77 - 83

0370-4661

In a climate change scenario, global forest loss had a direct impact on the hydrological cycle, making the protection of soil and water resources a central issue. In the Central Andes of western Argentina, information on Chacay (Ochetophila trinervis) mountain forests is scarce. This tree thrives along river and stream banks, fixes atmospheric nitrogen, and grows in impoverished soils. The seeds of O. trinervis are characterized by physical or physiological dormancy, and germination requires technique application. The main goal was to evaluate the effect of mechanical and chemical scarification, cold stratification, and hot water immersion on the final germination percentage, germination speed index, and the mean germination time of O. trinervis seeds. Our results show that mechanical and chemical scarification are the treatments that best inhibit seed dormancy in this species. Mechanical scarification with sandpaper is the treatment that offers a balance between effective results and an easy-to-apply technique. Sulfuric acid (SA) treatment is also efficient in breaking dormancy, but we recommend applying it under extreme careful laboratory conditions.