Less is more: Little seed processing required for direct seeding in seasonal tropics

Seed processing and dormancy break treatments are recommended for rendering seeds restoration-ready. Conversely, fruit structures seed coats may protect from environmental harm in the field. We evaluated effects of (by either keeping or extracting seeds) and/or scarification (of physically dormant on seedling emergence establishment 10 legume tree species tropical forests savannas Central Brazil. sowed a greenhouse reference field experiment conducted tilled ready-to-seed sites. monitored survival year. calculated costs harvesting, processing, pretreating seeds, considered final cost 1-year-old seedling. extraction resulted lower most It also accelerated three four field, respectively. Scarification half species, while it increased greenhouse. Most presented both The was 1.6 to 74.6 times higher when were processed, 1.3 6.0 scarified, except one species. Keeping reduced success direct seeding.