SUBSTRATE PREFERENCES OF THE GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF Sonneratia caseolaris SEEDS UNDER NURSERY CONDITIONS

A study was conducted to determine the preferred substrate of S. caseoluris seeds under nursery Conditions, with the objectives to determine if S. caseolaris has a preferred substrate, to determine possible differences in seed viability between floater seeds and sinker seeds, and to infer the possible implications of the results in the natural environment and mangrove nurseries. The seeds were germinated and grown in a mangrove nursery constructed in the beachfront of the College of Fisheries Laboratory and Research Station from March 20, 2017 to May 16, 2017. The substrates tested were fine sand, coarse sand, and silt sand, the seed types used were S. caseolaris seeds that floated (floater) and seeds that sank (sinker) when the rotten fruits were squeezed in brackish water. Statistical analysis of the results using a one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test showed that among the tested substrates, the seeds showed greater preference for the silt sand substrate, and no apparent significant differences were found between the germination rate of floater and sinker seeds subjected to the same substrate treatment.