Dormancy in seeds of Adansonia digitata (L.) can be attributed partly to the testa and partly to the pulp. Several methods, such as wet heat treatment, total or partial seed decoating and scarification of seeds with concentrated acids, herbicides, fungicides and growth regulators, were tested in 1988 and 1989 to break dormancy. The most effective was scarification with HNO3 or H2SO4, which gave 86 and 98% germination, respectively, while total decoating, partial decoating, wet heat treatment and ethrel gave 85, 80, 75 and 70%, respectively. Seeds treated with herbicides and fungicides did not germinate. Inhibition of germination caused by the pulp was overcome by thorough washing of seeds and soaking in water for 3 days.