ASSESSMENT OF HEDGEROW SPECIES FOR SEED SIZE, STAND ESTABLISHMENT ANDSEEDLING HEIGHT

The relationships between seed size, emergence, stand establishment an d seedling height were examined in a trial comparing tree and shrub sp ecies as hedgerows for alley cropping in four environments in Haiti. L ogarithmic functions relating % emergence, % stand establishment and s eedling height to seed weight were positive and significant. These rel ationships were stronger when species weighing > 10 g 100(-1) seed wer e excluded from the analysis. Higher R-2 values were obtained regressi ng % stand than regressing % emergence on seed weight. Although except ions were noted, a majority of species having seed weights between 2.5 g and 10 g 100(-1) had good stands. Establishment was poor or inconsi stent for species with seed < 2.5 g 100(-1). The effect of seed size o n height was more important for seed weights < 5 or 8.8 g 100(-1), dep ending upon the site, than for larger seed. Species with < 2.5 g 100(- 1) seed are unsuitable for direct seeding where the chance of drought is high.