Controlling germination parameters is a key factor in agriculture, since productivity can be increased depending on the choices made. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the shell on germination (germination rate, germination speed and germination time) and the growth parameters of Anacardium occidentale in order to optimise its germination and growth in the nursery. A total of 270 cashew nuts were sown for this experiment, including 90 shelled cashew nuts, 90 scarified nuts and 90 nuts for the control batch that had not undergone any pre-treatment in a randomised complete block design. The study showed that the germination rate varied significantly according to the treatments, with the best results for shelled seeds (77.8±.10,25% ). The latency period also varied and was shorter for hulled seeds (6 days). Ten days after sowing, hulled seeds had better growth parameters than the other treatments, with 24.39±0.76cm for plant height, 6.43±0.04cm for collar diameter and 13.11±1.07 for number of leaves. These results are useful for the development of germination strategies for this species of socio-economic interest.