ABSTRACT

 A study ofthe "Effect of Seed Sources on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Selected Rain Forest Plant* Species of Nigeria” was conducted at Eastern Research Station, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Umuahia - Abia State, Nigeria between the year 2011 and 2012. Mature seeds of Dennetia tripetala, Entandrophragma angolense, Terminalia ivorensis and Khaya ivorensis were collected from Bende LGA, Abia State, Otoro- Abak in Akwa Ibom State, Effraya, Ikom LGA- Cross River State, Sopoba in Edo State and Emure- Ekiti LGA, in Ekiti State, with distinct climatic variations and within the tropical rainforest of Nigeria. The lengths and total weights of sixty seeds of each species from each source were obtained before sowing the seeds in uniform plastic germination baskets. Each seed source was replicated 3 times, with twenty seeds in each germination baskets. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomised Design. Germinations counts were taken every 5 days, up to 25 days for each species. The tender seedlings were pricked out into polypots and left to stabilize for two weeks. Five seedlings of uniform size from each seed source were selected and replicated three times and laid out in Completely Randomised Design (CRD). Heights, Collar diameters, leaf areas were measured and leaf number counted fortnightly. Total biomass was obtained after 12 weeks after planting. Results showed that, percentage germination of Dennettia tripetala, Entandrophragma angolens^ Terminalia ivorensis and Khaya ivorensis, were highly variable as expected among the 3 different seeds sources for each species. Dennettia tripetala seeds from Otoro gave the highest germination percentage (80%), while the least (66.7%) was obtained in seeds from Bende LGA, and these were significantly different at 5% probability level (P < 0.05), the exception was in leaf number. Entandrophragma angolensis seeds from Effraya had highest germination percentage (88.3%) while those Emure gave the least (70%) and this difference was significant (P < 0.05). In Entandrophragma angolense growth parameters assessed were significantly different (P < 0.05). Terminalia ivorensis seeds from Sapoba, Edo state gave highest germination percentage (56.7%), while the least (48.3%) was observed in Bende, but growth parameters assessed were not significantly different (P < 0.05). Khaya ivorensis seeds from Sapoba, had highest germination percentage (55%) while those from Effraya had theleast (35.4%) and growth parameters; height, leaf number and leaf areas were significantly different (P < 0.05), except the collar diameter. From these results, it could be vividly stated that Dennettia tripetala seeds from Otoro, Entandrophragma angolenso. seeds from Emure, Terminalia ivorensis and Khaya ivorensis seeds are best in nursery establishment especially in Umuahia, where this study was carried out.