Dormancy breakage and germination in Sapindus saponaria L. seeds as a function of temperature and germination substrate

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate different pre-germination treatments, histochemical characteristics and physiological performance of Sapindus saponaria L. seeds as a function of temperature and the germination substrate. The S. saponaria seeds were collected in the municipality of Rio Verde, GO, and analysed through the execution of 2 tests (dormancy breakage and germination tests). Test 1 consisted of 10 treatments for overcoming dormancy, whereas test 2 consisted of a 35-day evaluation of germination on several substrates (paper and sand) under the following 4 temperature conditions: 20, 25, 30°C and alternating 20-30°C (± 0.5°C). The results of the dormancy breakage and germination tests were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the means were compared by the Tukey test. Scarifying S. saponaria seeds with concentrated sulfuric acid for 90 min provided a relatively high speed and percentage of emergence, without causing anatomical damage. Pre-germination treatments using high- (42 °C) or low-(10 °C) temperature stress caused cellular damage in the endosperm region of S. saponaria seeds. The greatest percentage of S. saponaria seeds germinated on a paper substrate at 30°C.