Abstract
ABSTRACT Palm trees are widely used as ornamental plants, besides its sustainability and industry aspects. These plants are commercially propagated via seeds. Due to its importance and the need for seed germination information, this study aimed to verify the effect of temperature, light regimes, and desiccation tolerance on germination of Mauritia flexuosa L.f. For that, two completely randomized experiments were carried out. The first consisted of treatments arranged in a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, testing six temperatures (20, 25, 30, 35, 20-30, and 25-35 ºC) and light presence and absence. The second comprised five seed water contents (51, 48, 45, 30, and 26%) for desiccation tolerance evaluations. Water content measurements were made every three days, from a sample lot maintained at room temperature. In both trials, each treatment was composed of four replicates with 25 seeds per plot. Germination rate (GR) and germination speed index (GSI) were calculated, and the data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Temperature and light means were compared by the Tukey’s test (p < 0.05), and the desiccation ones by a polynomial regression. The highest GR was observed at 20-30 ºC, regardless of light presence. Moreover, M. flexuosa seeds were sensitive to desiccation.
Highlights
Mauritia flexuosa L.f. is a palm species of the family Arecaceae, commonly known as moriche palm or buriti
Given the importance of this species, this study aimed to verify the effect of different temperatures, light presence, and desiccation tolerance on germination of buriti seeds (M. flexuosa), so that germination-related aspects could be elucidated for further production of high-quality seedlings at a large scale
No significant interaction between temperature and light was observed for germination rate (GR) and germination speed index (GSI)
Summary
Mauritia flexuosa L.f. is a palm species of the family Arecaceae, commonly known as moriche palm or buriti. It has solitary, column-like stems and palmate leaves, and is able to reach 25 m in height and 0.80 m in diameter. Native to Brazil, M. flexuosa is not endemic, and can be found in diverse ecosystems This species can be encountered in Amazonia, Caatinga, and Cerrado biomes, as well as in riparian/gallery forests, floodplains, and palm savannas in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Tocantins, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Piauí, Federal District, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo (Arecaceae..., 2018). The fruit, which is commonly traded, is a good source of vitamins and minerals, besides contributing to fauna preservation since it serves as food for wild animals (Milanez et al, 2018)
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