Impact of provenance on germination and seedling growth of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> L. in Tunisia

The carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua , is a Mediterranean species with multiple uses. To promote this species, we compared the germination capacity and seedling growth for seeds sourced from nine provenances located in different bioclimatic regions in Tunisia. The seeds from different provenances were placed in controlled conditions to germinate. Various parameters which characterise the quality, germination capacity and seedling growth were measured. Univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate (PCA, AHC) statistical approaches were used to analyse the data. There was considerable variability between provenances. The seeds of the five provenances collected from the north-west (Ain Draham and Siliana) and south (Sfax, Sidi Bouzid and Gabes) showed the best performance in terms of quality, germination capacity and seedling growth. These five provenances can be used for seed collection and seedling production for various carob reforestation programmes according to their adaptation to specific soil and climate conditions in each region of Tunisia. These provenances will provide good pod and seed production.