ZLV Online

Abstrakt

Moisture content (MC), viability, germination, peak value (PV) and mean germination time (MGT) and the occurrence of seed borne fungi were evaluated for beechnuts collected in 2001 and 2003 from both the forest floor and from nets spread on the floor. Mean moisture content was significantly higher in beechnuts from the 2001 crop than from the 2003 crop. However, no significant difference was found in the mean MC of beechnuts collected from the forest floor or from nets. Mean variability and germination of beechnuts from the 2003 crop was about 10% higher than for beechnuts harvested in 2001. The viability of beechnuts collected from both the forest floor and nets in 2001 did not differ significantly; however, beechnuts from nets germinated better than beechnuts picked from the forest floor, while in the 2003 crop the opposite was true with significantly higher germination occurring for beechnuts picked from the forest floor. Mean viability and germination in beechnuts from both crops was higher in beechnuts with lower MC no matter how they were collected. Lower PV occurred for beechnuts from nets for both the 2001 and 2003 harvests. One week longer MT was observed for beechnuts from nets only in 2001 crop. For the 2003 crop no major diference occurred in total germination time for beechnuts collected from either the forest floor or nets at the same time and in the same forest stands. Beechnuts collected later germinated better and faster than those collected earlier from the same stands while the germination rate and capacity in other seedlots were lower when collected later in the same season. Similar numbers of fungi and species composition occurred for beechnuts regardless of collection year or method. The most prevalent fungi were species of Penicillium, alternaria, Mucor, and Trichothecium roseum and acremoniella atra. From 60 to 81% of the beechnut seedlots were infested with Fusarium species with infestation rates within lots with being up to 3% of the beechnuts per sample for seedlots collected directly from the forest floor and up to 1% within lots collected from nets. Beechnuts from nets yielded lower numbers of fungi as did seeds that were collected immediately after being shaken from trees and then collected from the forest floor.