Effect of storage and pre-germination treatments on seeds of Arbutus xalapensis from north-central Mexico

Arbutus xalapensis is the species of the genus with the greatest distribution in Mexico. Despite this, knowledge about its seeds and propagation is scarce. The objective of the present study was to observe the effect of storage on the germination of A. xalapensis seeds and the effect of pre-germination treatments on stored seeds. The seeds were stored at room temperature for a period of 24 months, and germination tests were performed at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Four pre-germination treatments were tested on seeds previously stored for 12 and 24 months. These treatments consisted of control, immersion in gibberellic acid for 24 h, cold stratification for 30 days and a combination of cold stratification for 30 days and gibberellic acid for 24 h. The germination percentage and mean germination time (MGT) were analyzed. Germination decreased from 93 to 52% between the periods studied, reducing by approximately 10% every six months. In the MGT, an increase in the time necessary to initiate germination was observed. Pre-germination treatments with gibberellic acid reduced MGT, but no significant increase in germination was observed with the treatments. Seeds of A. xalapensis are sensitive to storage, losing viability and causing higher MGT. Pre-germination treatments mainly helped to reduce MGT. It is necessary to conduct further studies in order to increase knowledge of this species and the genus Arbutus L. in Mexico.