Evaluation of the Seed Germination Behavior of <i>Prunus africana </i>(Hook.f.) Kalkman (Rosaceae) under Different Pre-sowing Treatments in Ethiopia

The seeds of P. africana pose challenges for propagation due to their harder seed coat and recalcitrant nature, as well as long flowering cycles. Therefore, the mainobjective of this study is to evaluate the seed germination capability of P. africana under different pre-sowing treatments. Mature seeds of P. africana were collected in April 2024 from the Walmara district of West Shewa (Oromia region). Seedswere treated with four types of treatments and sown in pots filled with a 3:2:1 ratio of forest topsoil, manure, and sand, respectively, in a completely randomized design. One-way ANOVA indicated that there exists a mean significant difference among treatment groups in both mean germination percentage (GP) and mean germination index (GI) at p≤ 0.05. Tukey’s HSD pairwise comparisons for GP and GI at p≤ 0.05 indicated that the GP and GI for seeds soaked in cold normal water for 24 hours at room temperature (25°C) are highly significant compared to other pre-sowing treatments. Generally, this study implicates the potential pre-sowingtreatment that enhances the seed germination of P. africana. The outputs of this study can be used for mass propagation, restoration, and conservation of P. africana.