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Archives (2001)
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Ways to enhance palm seed germination
by Laarni C. Anenias
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October-December
2001
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One who is fond of collecting ornamentals simply
won't miss out taking palms in his/her collection. Either
for indoor or outdoor decoration, palms are a common choice
among landscapers, interior decorators, and housekeepers.
 For
these reasons, demand for palms has significantly increased
through the years. However, growers have not been able to
meet this growing demand because of the lack of planting materials
due to long and irregular germination of palm species.
To counter this problem, researchers from the
Institute of Plant Breeding and Department of Horticulture
in UP Los Banos recommend several techniques to induce uniform
germination of palm seeds. The group, composed of Dr. Simeona
Siar, Dr. Calixto Protacio, and Ms. Lilibeth Obmerga, recommend
pre-treating the seeds prior to sowing. According to them,
any of the following techniques could be used: soaking, hot
water treatment (HWT), stratification, newspaper/paper towel
technique (NP), or kulob (K) and exposed (E) techniques.
Soaking is done to soften the seed husks. Seeds
are soaked in water from 2 days to 2 weeks. The researchers
recommend daily changing of water to promote better aeration.
HWT, on the other hand, involves soaking seeds in water at
500C for 15 minutes.
Stratification involves removing seed covering
by soaking it in water, then air drying it for 24 hours. These
are then placed in polyethylene bags and kept in a refrigerator
at approximately 5-800C for 1 week.
Moreover, NP technique involves putting seeds
in a fungicide solution (Dithane-M45), at 1 tsp/4L, for 10
minutes. Seeds are then airdried overnight, then wrapped in
newspaper/paper towel, and sprinkled with water. These are
then covered and sealed in plastic bags.
Furthermore, K and E techniques are done after
sowing the seeds in containers. In K, containers are wrapped
with polyethylene bags, then sealed. This retains moisture
within the system and promotes seed germination. As the name
implies, E technique involves exposing the seeds to the environment,
but not in direct sunlight. Seeds should only be placed in
shaded areas or in a screenhouse protected with three layers
of net roofing. The researchers recommend the following media
in sowing seeds: pure coconut coir dust (CD), pure garden
soil (GS), and combination of CD and GS (1:1), and a combination
of sand and CD (1:1).
These techniques were tried on local palms with
anahaw (Livistona sp.) and bunga or nga-nga
(Areca cathechu) having the highest germination percentages.
Anahaw seeds had 100% germination rate, 6-8 weeks after sowing.
Its seeds were soaked in tap water two weeks, sowed in GS
media, and placed in exposed conditions. Bunga seeds, on the
other hand, germinated 4-6 weeks after sowing, with a 96%
rate. This rate could be achieved by pre-treating the seeds
either in HWT or by soaking it for 2-3 days then sowed in
a combination of sand and CD. After pre-treatment, seeds could
either be placed in an enclosed or exposed condition.
With these techniques, we could now expect a
more prolific palm production in the country. 
(Source: Mass propagation techniques for
selected palms, provided by the Integrated Ornamental Horticulture
R&D Program, funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture,
Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).
For more information, write to The Executive Director, PCARRD,
Los Banos, Laguna, Tel. No.: 049-536-0014-15.) More Articles:
Vol. 3 No. 4 October-December 2001
»»
Outstanding technologies identified in nat'l R&D week
»» Thailand,
Philippines convene for agri cooperation
»»
Prospects for the ornamental industry in the new millennium
»» UPLB
scientists develop new hybrids of Philippine ornamentals
»» New management
techniques for exportable foliage plants
»» In
focus: a date with the "king of cut flowers"
»» Brighten
your homes with aglaonema
»» King
in red and green
»» Cashing
in with the 'lucky bamboo'
»» Turfgrasses:
the preferred ground cover
»» Catching
the invisible enemy with ELISA
»» Grow
dracaena godseffiana the easy way
»» Bromeliads:
the exotic plant
»» Wag that
fish-tail fern
»» Mass
propagating the 'doņas' through kulob system
»» Beauveria
mold bioinsecticide: safer control against orchid pests
»» Orchids
and mycorrhiza: a lesson from the wild
»» Controlling
white rust in chrysanthemums
»» Ways to
enhance palm seed germination
»» Prolonging
the vase life of cut flowers with ethylene adsorbent and Florafresh
»»
Mass producing the fragrant kamuning
»» The
national RDE program for ornamental crops
»» GMA
presents 2001 Gawad Saka awards
[More
2001 Articles]
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