Abstract

VARGAS-SIMON, Georgina; PIRE, Reinaldo  and  DE LA O-DE LA O, Karina. Effect of radicle length of germinated cuijinicuil (Inga jinicuil Schtdl, & Cham. Ex. G. Don) seeds on initial seedling growth in greenhouse. Agrociencia [online]. 2009, vol.43, n.6, pp. 603-608. ISSN 1405-3195.

Inga jinicuil is a potentially important species in reforestation programs in tropical regions. For this reason, germinated seeds with different radicle lengths were planted to determine the effect of radicle length on seedling growth. Fruits with germinated seeds were collected in Nacajuca, Tabasco, México, and seeds with root lengths of 1-2 cm (T1), 2-3 cm (T2) and 3-4 cm (T3) were selected and planted individually in nursery bags. The experimental design was completely randomized with 10 replications. For 30 weeks, length of stem (LT), length of primary root (LRP), number of secondary roots (NRS), number of leaflets (NF) and relative growth rate (TRC) were evaluated. LT and NF were greater in T2 than in T1 (p<0.01); T2 and T3 were superior to T1 in LRP, NRS, and TCR. It is concluded that root length of 2 cm or more at the time of planting, significantly affects subsequent seedling growth.

Keywords : Inga; growth; root length.