Early Gr Early Growth Assessment of T owth Assessment of Triplochit riplochiton Scler on Scleroxylon Pr xylon Progeny Development F elopment From Conser om Conserved Forests in Nigeria ests in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the intraspecific differences at the early growth of Triplochiton scleroxylon of mixed progeny origins purposively collected from Okoklo Forest Reserve (OFR), Benue State, Cross-River National Park (CRNP), Cross-River and Okomu National Park (ONP), Edo State, Nigeria. The data collected were the height, root collar diameter, internode elongation length, number of leaves and nodes of the early growth assessment of Triplochiton scleroxylon which was for a period of sixteen weeks. At the end of the 16th week of germination, OFR Triplochiton scleroxylon provenance had the highest height (22.66 cm), root collar diameter (0.85 cm), number of leaves (22) and nodes (16) while CRNP Triplochiton scleroxylon provenance had the longest internode length elongation (1.52 cm). There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the height (F = 7.67), root collar diameter (F = 6.65), number of leaves (F = 17.15) and internode length elongation (F = 49.31) across the Triplochiton scleroxylon provenances vis-à-vis the 16 weeks growth period of the seedlings. The growth time of the seedlings, height, root collar diameter, number of leaves, number of nodes and internode length elongation significantly (p < 0.05) and positively inter-relate amongst each other. The study concluded that the early growth of OFR Triplochiton scleroxylon provenance performed best in height growth, root collar diameter growth, leaf and node production and could be used in the National plantation establishment and afforestation programs while the CRNP and ONP Triplochiton scleroxylon provenances could be improved upon genetically for better growth performance.

Keywords

• triplochiton scleroxylon
• early growth
• progeny development
• conserved forests
• nigeria.