Abstract
This study was carried out to assess the effects of different scarification treatments on seed germination of Acacia cyclops (A. Cunn.. ex G. Don) and Acacia victoriae (Benth).The results of the study show that H2SO4 acid scarification was superior in enhancing seed germination percentage (G %), germination rate (GR), and germination index (GI) of both acacia species. Interestingly, A. cyclops seeds treated with H2SO4 required 90 minutes to attain the highest germination percentage, while A. victorria obtained its highest germination percentage at the minimum assigned time of 30 minute, possibly reflecting differences in seed coat thickness. Although both boiling water and dry heat treatments didn’t improve the germination % of A. victoriae, these treatments were effective in enhancing all the measured parameters of A. cyclops seeds. It was also found that the germination of A. victoriae dramatically reduced with increasing time of exposure to boiling water. The results of this study confirmed that seeds of A. cyclops and A. victoriae possess a physical dormancy and will not germinate satisfactorily unless treated.