Abstract
ABSTRACT Non-destructive and high performance analyses are highly desirable and important for assessing the quality of forest seeds. The aim of this study was to relate parameters obtained from semi-automated analysis of radiographs of Leucaena leucocephala seeds to their physiological potential by means of multivariate analysis. To do so, seeds from five lots collected from parent trees from the region of Viçosa, MG, Brazil, were used. The study was carried out through analysis of radiographic images of seeds, from which the percentage of damaged seeds (predation and fungi), and measurements of area, perimeter, circularity, relative density, and integrated density of the seeds were obtained. After the X-ray test, the seeds were tested for germination in order to assess variables related to seed physiological quality. Multivariate statistics were applied to the data generated, with use of principal component analysis (PCA). X-ray testing allowed visualization of details of the internal structure of seeds and differences regarding density of seed tissues. Semi-automated analysis of radiographic images of Leucaena leucocephala seeds provides information on seed physical characteristics and generates parameters related to seed physiological quality in a simple, fast, and inexpensive manner.
Highlights
Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, a leguminous tree with wide distribution in various countries, including Brazil, has been indicated as a species appropriate for composing reforestation systems in degraded areas (Bichoff et al, 2018)
Understanding the relevance of inclusion of innovative methodologies, the aim of this study was to relate parameters obtained from semi-automated analysis of radiographs of Leucaena leucocephala seeds to their physiological potential through multivariate analysis
In studies conducted with X-ray analysis of seeds of Moquiniastrum polymorphum (Faria et al, 2018), Anacardium othonianum (Silva et al, 2017), Senna multijuga (Marchi; Gomes Junior, 2017), Terminalia argentea (Gomes et al, 2014), and Crotalaria juncea (Arruda et al, 2016), it was possible to visualize seed parts with moisture contents from 8% to 12%
Summary
Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, a leguminous tree with wide distribution in various countries, including Brazil, has been indicated as a species appropriate for composing reforestation systems in degraded areas (Bichoff et al, 2018). It makes an ecologically important contribution by improving the soil, fixing nitrogen, and controlling erosion in arid regions (Yige et al, 2012). Physiological quality is important for obtaining vigorous and uniform seedlings. For assessment of the physiological quality of these seeds in the laboratory, they generally need to be scarified to obtain the maximum percentage of germination and for the germination process not to be slow and uneven. Among the techniques that meet this requirement is X-ray image analysis
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