Abstract
Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassm. is a species native to Brazil that is of ecological and aesthetic importance. This study aims to describe the biometric characteristics of S. romanzoffiana fruits and to assess the effects that treatments meant to overcome dormancy and partial drying have on seed germination. For biometric characterization, each repetition consisted of 50 fruits from eight clusters (total, 400 fruits). To evaluate methods for overcoming dormancy, seeds representative of populations were treated by perforation of the operculum; perforation of the operculum and immersion in water for 24 hours; cracking; exposure to fire for three minutes; and non-removal of fibers. There was also a control group. In a second experiment, seeds were partially dried. We determined the proportional moisture content of newly harvested seeds (20.2%) and dried them down to moisture contents of 15.5% and 12.7%. All seeds were subjected to a germination test at 30ºC. The fruits showed biometric variations, with an average of 21.7 mm in longitudinal diameter and 19.7 mm in polar diameter, and a fresh mass of 5.61 g, of which 59.29% was pulp. The highest germination rates and vigor to overcome dormancy occurred after the operculum was perforated and the seeds were soaked in water for 24 hours. The results of the partial drying treatments did not differ sufficiently to discourage dormancy in any significant manner.
Highlights
Syagrus romanzoffiana (Arecaceae, common name: jerivá) is a palm native to Brazil that is distributed along the entire coast, from the state of Ceará to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as in the inland areas of the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul (Lorenzi 2002)
This study aims to describe the biometric parameters of S. romanzoffiana fruit, to evaluate treatments to overcome dormancy and to determine the effect that partial seed drying has on viability and vigor of S. romanzoffiana seeds
We evaluated the following variables: germination, germination speed index (GSI)—determined according to the formula proposed by Maguire (1962)—and the radicle length at day 35 after radicle protrusion
Summary
Syagrus romanzoffiana (Arecaceae, common name: jerivá) is a palm native to Brazil that is distributed along the entire coast, from the state of Ceará to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as in the inland areas of the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul (Lorenzi 2002). The ecological and geographic plasticity of S. romanzoffiana can result in adaptive genetic variation of populations that have evolved in different habitats, and there may be varieties that are better adapted to certain soil and climatic conditions. Studies dealing with agronomic traits, such as the physical characteristics of fruit, are necessary for understanding the productive capacity of a species (Schwartz et al 2010). Parameters such as the proportion of pulp, endocarp and seed constitute basic information that indicates the productive and economic potential of the fruit as a food resource or as raw material in the manufacture of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or herbal medicines. Some characteristics have been described in isolation: an ovoid drupe, measuring approximately 2-3 cm in length and 1-2 cm in diameter (Reitz 1974; Genini et al 2009); fruit with sweet and fleshy pulp, yellow-orange when ripe (Reitz 1974; Genini et al 2009); and a seed weight of 0.5 g (Balick 1979)
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