Germination of Cinchona officinalis L. seeds in three soils types of Cajamarca, Peru

Abstract

The research analyses the germination of seeds of Cinchona officinalis L., in three soils of populations located in three sectors of the province of Cajamarca in Peru, for its reintroduction in areas where it has disappeared. The seeds were collected in the localities from which the soil samples were obtained and moved to the city of Trujillo, Peru. An experimental design was established per block with three soils and three replicates of 2 kg each with 100 seeds per replicate, for a total of 300 seeds per soil. Perforated plastic containers with lids were used. Spray irrigation was applied daily and the units were covered to conserve humidity. Seedlings were counted between 13 and 60 days and their height was measured at the end of the study. Non-parametric analysis of variance was performed with α = 0.05 to establish the influence of soil on the percentage of germination. It was concluded that the seeds of C. officinalis L. can germinate maintaining similar conditions to those of its habitat (temperature and humidity); also the soil where the biggest quantity of seeds germinated was the one with a sandy loam texture. It was concluded that the type of soil has significant influence on the percentage of germination with p<0.05. It was demonstrated that it can reproduce outside its habitat for reforestation purposes in the areas where this emblematic plant of Peru has disappeared.