Abstract
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to verify the efficiency of physical and biochemical indices in determining the physiological maturity of Tabebuia aurea seeds, as well as to evaluate the post-harvest storage of fruits with different maturation stages on germination and vigor. For this, 200 fruits were classified as dark green (stage I), light green (stage II), and light brown (stage III) epicarp. Freshly harvested fruits were evaluated for length, width, and weight and their seeds for length, width, thickness, thousand-seed weight, water content, electrical conductivity, and chemical composition. Subsequently, a factorial consisting of three maturation stages and four storage periods of fruits (0, 5, 10 and 15 days) were used, and water content, germination, germination speed index, root length, shoot length, and seedling dry matter were evaluated. Physical and biochemical indices can be used as maturation indicators in T. aurea seeds, except fruit length, seed thickness, electrical conductivity, and protein content. The maximum germination and vigor of T. aurea seeds were obtained in fruits at stages I (dark green) or II (light green) associated with post-harvest storage of fifteen days.
Highlights
Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. f. ex S
Seed water content was higher for fruits from stage I, followed by fruits from stages II and III (Table 1)
These differences in water content between maturation stages suggest that seeds obtained from stage I were more immature than the others, followed by stages II and III
Summary
Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. f. ex S. Its multiplication is mainly by seeds, but their fruits are dehiscent, making harvesting difficult (Lorenzi, 2008). Quality seeds are essential to obtain healthy and vigorous seedlings. Among the criteria adopted at harvest to obtain quality seeds are their physiological maturity (Barbosa et al, 2015). Seeds present the maximum germination and vigor at this stage, and the study of their maturation aims to determine how and when it is reached for each species. Some maturity indices should be verified, such as changes in water content, size, germination, vigor, seedling dry matter, and fruit and seed color (Bewley et al, 2013)
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