Changes in seed quality during fruit maturation of sweet pepper

Deborah De Souza Vidigal,Denise Cunha Fernandes Dos Santos Dias,Fernando Luiz Finger,Luiz Antônio Dos Santos Dias

doi:10.1590/s0103-90162011000500004

Abstract

Studies regarding seed maturation are important to determine the ideal fruit development stage for harvesting in order to obtain high-quality seeds. Changes in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seed quality were monitored during seed development in order to identify the stage of maximum quality of the seeds and the optimum harvest date. Fruits harvested from 20 to 75 days after anthesis (DAA) with step of five days were grouped according to maturity stage (green, yellow, red and intense red color outside). Before seed extraction, the fruit weigh, diameter and length were determined. Seed water content, seed dry weight, 1.000-seed weight, germination, first count, speed emergence index, seedling length, accelerated aging and electrical conductivity tests were performed. Mass maturity of the seeds was attained at 75 DAA, when seed water content was 47.3 % and the fruits were red. Sweet pepper seeds with high germination and vigour should be harvested when fruits are completely red outside, at 75 DAA.

Highlights

Materials and MethodsProduction of high quality seeds depends upon the appropriate time of harvest
Fruit diameter (Figure 1 a), weight (Figure 1 b) and length (Figure 1 c) increased consistently until approximately between and 45 days after anthesis (DAA) followed by slightly increase
Fruit size tend to stabilize or decrease at the end of the fructification process of indeterminate growth plant, as observed in tomato by Dias et al (2006b). These authors found differences among tomato fruit weight according to fructification sequence in the plant, where fruits from

Summary

Introduction

Materials and MethodsProduction of high quality seeds depends upon the appropriate time of harvest. Seeds developed in fleshy-fruited species generally attain maximum germination and vigor at the end of the seed-filling period, when physiological maturity is reached (Welbaum, 1999). It was verified by Demir and Ellis (1992a), to whom the highest germination percentage was obtained at 70 DAA, while the maximum dry matter content occurred at 50 DAA. Similar results were reported in pepper seeds, where maximum values of germination and dry matter was attained at 60 DAA

Results

Conclusion