ABSTRACT
The need for man to regain his environment through afforestation is imperative, especially in the bid to help with reduction of carbon footprint accumulated to human activities. Enhanced seed germination of trees is a critical factor necessary to achieving this feat. To enhance germination therefore, seed scarification, among other procedures, is important. In this study, seeds of Senna siamea, Monodora undulata and Albizia coriaria were scarified using dry heat, ice and acid (Conc. HCl). The seeds were soaked for 10, 20 and 30minutes respectively for control treatment. The seeds subjected to acid and ice were soaked for about 5, 10 and 15minutes respectively, while the seeds were fried/ baked for 3, 5 and 7 minutes respectively. Results shows that none of the scarification treatments at the different level tested was able to trigger germination in any of the species evaluated. However, control treatment tends to be the most effective method for Senna siamea and Albizia coriaria seeds although, both seeds showed positive response to ice and acid treatment but with control having the largest germination rate although, it was not consistent for all the treatment. However, Monodora undulata showed negative response to these two treatments, while dry heat was found to be ineffective for the three species, as it failed to inhibit germination. The seeds not being fresh was identified as a major problem for zero germination in Monodora undulata seeds. However, further research is required to validate these studies and optimize scarification techniques for Senna siamea, Monodora undulata, and Albizia coriaria and other species.
