Effect of priming, water stress, and mulch on the survival of Dodonaea viscosa (L) Jacq. for ecological restoration in Mexico

Common transplantation from the plant nursery to the field has generally presented a very high rate of mortality. This is the case for Dodonaea viscosa a native plant in the middle Ajusco Mountain in Mexico. For this reason, seed and plant improvement through natural priming, water stress precondition and mulches is necessary to increase the survival and establishment of this specie in a disturbed xerophilous shrubland in the Ecological Park of Mexico City. In first place, for the natural priming, the seed were buried in the ground of the park during three months. After that, seeds were germinated and grown in a nursery. Subsequently, seedlings were water preconditioned by watering with the minimal quantity of water. Finally, after the transplantation to the field, mulches of straw and black and white polyethylene were applied. Survival, height, base stem diameter, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, water potential and water use efficiency were measured. The results showed that the priming and non priming seeds had a similar germination percentage. The irrigated to soil capacity plants were taller than water stressed plants; however, there were not differences between priming and none priming seeds. Plants with polyethylene mulch, presented the highest survival percentages and the highest value of height and stem diameter. The better treatment was the interaction between natural priming, irrigation to soil capacity and polyethylene mulch, and it is advisable to accelerate the ecology succession on a disturb area to restore.