Provenance variation in seed germination and seedling growth of Acacia nilotica ssp indica in India

Acacia nilotica sap. indica, a multipurpose tree species occurs throughout semi-arid India. The present study reports the variation in seed germination and seedling growth of 21 sites (provenances) collected between the latitude 11 degrees N and 31 degrees 23'N, and 19 m to 650 m altitude throughout India. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the sites for seed germination that varied from 16 to 90% in the incubator, and 14 to 84% in the nursery. Significant variations were also observed in seedling growth up to 28 days in the incubator. There was no significant relationship between seed germination and seedling growth and the latitude or longitude of the original seed source. However, in general the South Indian provenances showed lower germination as compared to North Indian provenances. The observations are important for selection of vigorous provenances concerning seed germination and early seedling growth.