Abstract
The production of forest species that present seedlings with exogenous dormancy is limited by low germination rates, which can be overcome by rupturing or weakening the tegument. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of low-cost methods of overcoming dormancy and determine the effect of storage on the seeds of Enterolobium contortisiliquum. Four storage periods were used, freshly collected seeds (0), stored for 6, 12 and 18 months, and four methods were applied, mechanical scarification and immersion in water (EI), mechanical scarification (ES), immersion in water (IM) and control (TE). We obtained the percentage values of seedling emergence (EP) and the mean emergence time (TME). Conductivity and moisture were obtained as indicators of the physical and physiological quality of seeds, respectively. Variations in moisture content and electrical conductivity during storage did not have effect on the percentage of germination. EI treatment was more efficient for overcoming dormancy than the ES was, regardless of storage time. IM and TE treatments did not lead to germination. EI was the most efficient treatment for decreasing the TME. The results indicate that alternative and low-cost methods are efficient at overcoming exogenous dormancy and thus can be used to optimize the process of seedling production.
Highlights
IntroductionDeveloping a better understanding of the autoecology of forest species is one of the initial steps to producing high-quality seedling in large quantities, especially in cases where dormancy is caused by the presence of chemical substances or a tegument (Scalon et al, 2005)
Despite the decreasing moisture tendency, the moisture content of the seeds stored for six months did not differ from that of the seeds stored for other lengths of time
Collected seeds and those stored for 6 months presented lower electrical conductivity values compared with seeds stored for 12 months and 18 months. These results are related to the deterioration of the tegument over time, which increased the permeability of the seed to water during the test a nd increased the electrical conductivity (Ataíde, Borges, Flores, & Castro, 2016)
Summary
Developing a better understanding of the autoecology of forest species is one of the initial steps to producing high-quality seedling in large quantities, especially in cases where dormancy is caused by the presence of chemical substances or a tegument (Scalon et al, 2005). The seeds of leguminous plants under natural conditions present an elevated germination time, which is considered a tactic for distributing the germination period over time and space (Eira & Caldas, 2000). This delay is an advantage that allows seed storage. Methods for overcoming dormancy must be implemented to increase the seedling emergence rate
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