Morphobiometry and Ecophysiology of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. (Pequi) in Cerrado Areas of Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Many studies have reported that native plant species can contribute to ensuring food security in the world. Among the Brazilian species, the Caryocar coriaceum has a high utility value for the communities in Northeast Brazil but it is under threat due to the degradation of the Cerrado savannah. One way to mitigate threats is to produce large-scale seedlings. Thus, it was attempted to evaluate methods to overcome dormancy of C. coriaceum to increase and standardize germination and to analyze its morphobiometric characteristics. The fruits were weighed, measured and subjected to the selected treatments. Tests were performed to overcome dormancy The fruits were planted at a depth of 5 cm. The results showed that the fruits of C. coriaceum presented asymmetric frequency distribution with high variability for the characteristic of weight. However, a marked variation of the literature data was found. About the germination treatments tested in the laboratory, none was effective in overcoming dormancy, which may be due to the presence of inhibitory substances. Concerning seed planting, a germination index of 35% was recorded after 12 months. The conclusions suggest that there is a high phenotypic variability of the genus in the cerrado and probably the presence of germination inhibitors in seeds of this species, which should be addressed to ensure germination.