Abstract
Abstract: Post-harvest storage of fleshy fruit is a strategy used for improving seed quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate post-harvest storage of the fruit of C. baccatum var. baccatum (cumari pepper) and relate it to antioxidant enzyme activity and seed physiological potential. Red-colored fruit (65 days after anthesis) was gathered and stored at 20 °C for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days. The seeds were removed and evaluated for moisture content, physiological quality, antioxidant enzyme activity, and protein content. The means were fitted to regression equations and then passed through multivariate analysis (PCA). Seed moisture and 100-seed weight decreased through post-harvest storage. The 5- and 10-days storage periods led to an increase in the germination. Electrical conductivity was greater for the 0- and 20-day storage periods. Dry matter and protein increased in the 5- and 10-days. Enzymes exhibited reductions of activity comparing 0 and 20 days. The post-harvest storage of C. baccatum fruit for 5 and 10 days improves seed physiological potential and is related to physiological maturity. The incomplete maturation of cumari seeds obtained from unstored fruit (0 days) is related to greater enzyme activity, greater oxidative stress, and low germination and vigor. The lack of post-harvest storage of fruit and storage of fruit for longer than 10 days contributes to a lower physiological potential of cumari pepper seeds.
Highlights
Worldwide production of peppers has continued to grow, reaching approximately 40 million tons (FAOSTAT, 2019)
Peppers are propagated by seeds that have irregular germination, mainly due to dormancy (Quintero et al, 2018), which is a characteristic from its evolutionary development and intrinsic to the genotype
Post-harvest storage of fleshy fruit is a strategy adopted by producers for the purpose of making the maturity stage more uniform and, in many cases, it can assist in improving the quality and/or breaking the dormancy of seeds in many crops
Summary
Worldwide production of peppers has continued to grow, reaching approximately 40 million tons (FAOSTAT, 2019). Baccatum, known in Brazil as “cumari”, has small, upright, rounded fruit with a mild aroma and high pungency. These traits make it a good option for producing preserves (EPAMIG, 2006). Germination and vigor are important characteristics for seed-propagated species, for which uniform stand is indispensable for obtaining satisfactory production (Rajjou et al, 2012). Post-harvest storage of fleshy fruit is a strategy adopted by producers for the purpose of making the maturity stage more uniform and, in many cases, it can assist in improving the quality and/or breaking the dormancy of seeds in many crops. Many studies report the beneficial effect of post-harvest storage of fruit on the quality of different pepper species (Araújo et al, 2018; Gonçalves et al, 2018; Martínez-Muñoz et al, 2019; Medeiros et al, 2020)
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