Seed and fruit size affect soaking and physiological seed quality in Campomanesia adamantium?

Érica Fernandes Leão-Araújo,Francisco Guilhien Gomes-Júnior,Wilhan Valasco Dos Santos,Lílian Lúcia Costa,Eli Regina Barboza De Souza,Nei Peixoto

doi:10.1590/2317-1545v42233684

Abstract

Abstract: The size of fruits and seeds can affect the seed germination process and aspects related to the vigor of the seedlings formed. Our aim was to characterize fruit and seed biometrics, evaluate the effect of seed size on soaking and the effect of seed size and temperature on the germination and vigor of Campomanesia adamantium . The fruit was evaluated to determine longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter, fresh mass and empty, full and total seed quantities. The seeds were sorted into small, medium and large classes and then measured for length, width, thickness and mass. Seeds from each class were submitted to the germination test at 25 and 30 °C. The germination and vigor (first count, germination speed index, mean germination time and seedling length) data were evaluated by analysis of variance and a means test. Seeds from each size class were weighed repeatedly during soaking. The soaking data were fit to logistic and Peleg models and best fit curves with confidence bands were constructed to compare the effect of seed size. Fruit morphology showed high intraspecific variability. Germination was not affected by seed size or test temperature. Large seeds yielded taller seedlings while the 25 °C germination temperature produced the highest seedling growth rate. The small and medium seeds showed all three phases of the soaking process. Finally, soaking was initially slower for the large seeds than for the small and medium seeds.

Highlights

Campomanesia adamantium is native to the Brazilian Cerrado and has many potential uses
The fruit was harvested from 360 Campomanesia adamantium parent plants (Figure 1A) that were approximately 14 years old and located in Ipameri, GO, Brazil (17°43’19 ‘’ S, 48°09’35 ‘’ W, altitude 820 m)
The longitudinal diameter of the fruit ranged from 13.07 to 32.12 mm, with a standard deviation of 4.12 mm, while the transverse diameter varied from 11.02 to 29.44 mm, with a standard deviation of 3.63 mm (Table 1). These values are higher than those found by Dresch et al (2013), for fruit collected in Ponta Porã, MS, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Campomanesia adamantium is native to the Brazilian Cerrado and has many potential uses. It occurs naturally in the Midwest, Southeast and South regions of Brazil, belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is commonly called ‘gabiroba’ (Flora do Brasil, 2020). Seed germination and seedling growth are critical phases of the plant life cycle and determine species distribution and abundance (Wulff, 1986). Several ecological and evolutionary factors affect germination and seedling establishment (Marques and Oliveira, 2005) such as fruit and seed size (Surles, 1993; Oliveira et al, 2011; Dresch et al, 2013; Silva et al, 2014)

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