Germination Variability in Different Populations of Cork Oak (Quercus suber L.) in Tunisia

The cork oak (Quercus suber L. ) is a Mediterranean species, having great ecological and socioeconomic importance. In Tunisia this species occupies considerable areas including Kroumirie Mogods. Germination is a phenomenon that leads to the inert seed to a plantlet can emit its first leaves. It has various modes of expression. In the present work we have undertaken a study of germination performed semi-controlled conditions (nursery) of INRGREF (Tunis) different populations of cork oak in Tunisia El Feidja (GHARDIMAOU), Beni M'ttir, Hammam Bourguiba, Dar Fatma, Oued Zena and Mejen Essef (Ain Draham), Ain Zana (Bouselm) Jebel Zouza (Nefza) Keff El Rand (Haouria), Steam Jdidi (Hammamet) and Jebel Kroufa and Bellif (Tabarka) located Kroumirie Mogods and Cap Bon. Our results showed that the maximum germination rate is very high (98-100%), respectively, for the people of Jebel Kroufa, Oued Ezzen, Keff El rand, Blessed Mtir and Hammam Bourguiba, Jebel Zouza and Mejen Essef of lesser degree for the people of El Feidja (95.83%) and Ain Zena (90.27%) by cons it is lower for the population of Bellif, Dar Fatma (86.41%) and Hammam Jdidi (72.83%). The lag phases recorded are of the order of 42 days, respectively, for the population of Dar Fatma, Hammam Bourguiba, Jebel Kroufa, Steam Jdidi, Ain Zena and Mejen Essef, 49 days for the people of Jebel Zouza 56 days for public of Bellif, Blessed Mtir and Keff El rand, 63 days for the people of Oued Ezzen and about 70 days for the people of El Feidja. The difference in germination between populations can be attributed to ecological and climatic conditions of the original site and / or specific biological conditions of the case study.