Variations in germination and longevity of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds harvested at different stages of maturation

Abstract

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds of the cultivars Tatashe and Rodo, extracted from fruits sequentially harvested at different maturation stages, were tested for germinability (when freshly harvested) and longevity (over a period of about 17 weeks). Seed dry weight increased with fruit maturation and was maximum when the fruits turned red-ripe. Over-ripening of the fruits for 10 days on the mother plant did not result in a significant seed weight increase, signifying that the seeds were already fully filled when the fruits turned red-ripe. The seeds of the two cultivars started germinating as from 28 days after anthesis (DAA) and peaked at 71.5% and 40% for Tatashe and Rodo respectively, at 44 DAA. The viability of the seeds of Tatashe declined as storage progressed and the more mature the seeds were, the longer they survived. In Rodo, seed viability increased till the end of the storage period due to dormancy, which became progressively broken with age; seeds from more mature fruits survived better. In a second experiment, when fruits of Tatashe were harvested at the colour breaking, red-ripe and over-ripe stages, seed viability and longevity were best from over-ripe fruits.