Seedling vigour, expressed in terms of shoot and root length, number of leaves, leaf area and dry matter yield, was significantly affected by seed mass. Seedlings that emerged from heavy seeds showed better growth and produced heavier seedlings as compared to intermediate- and light-weight seed categories. | Turk J Bot 31 (2007) 31-36 © TÜB‹TAK Research Article The Effect of Seed Mass on Germination, Seedling Survival and Growth in Prunus jenkinsii . & Thoms. Krishna UPADHAYA1, Harendra Nath PANDEY2,*, Pynsakhiat S. LAW2 1 Department of Basic and Social Sciences School of Technology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793 022 - INDIA 2Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793 022 - INDIA Received: Accepted: Abstract: The effect of seed mass on germination, seedling survival and growth was investigated in Prunus jenkinsii . & Thoms. (Rosaceae), an evergreen tree species. Seed mass varied from a minimum of g to a maximum of g. Seed mass had a significant effect on the percentage of seeds that germinated: 28%, 41% and 42%, respectively, of light- ( g), intermediate(> to 2 g) and heavy-weight (> 2 g) seeds germinated. After 1 year of germination, the seedlings that arose from heavy-, intermediate- and light-weight seeds showed 80%, 63% and 42% survival, respectively. Seedling vigour, expressed in terms of shoot and root length, number of leaves, leaf area and dry matter yield, was significantly affected by seed mass. Seedlings that emerged from heavy seeds showed better growth and produced heavier seedlings as compared to intermediate- and light-weight seed categories. Key Words: Seed mass, germination, seedling survival, seedling vigour Introduction The role of seed size and weight in tree seedling performance has received considerable attention (Foster & Janson, 1985; Tripathi & Khan, 1990; Bonfil, 1998). The wide differences in seed mass among species have been regarded as an important aspect of reproductive strategy (Grubb, 1996). Seed mass plays an important role in the establishment of the juvenile phase of the life cycle, principally under conditions where resources are scare (Grubb & Coomes, 1997; Grubb & Burslem, 1998; Meyer & Carlson, 2001). Foster .
