Physiological Quality Research Articles

Effects of temperature, cultivar, and storage duration of rice on physiological parameters and head rice yield

Reducing rice post-harvest losses is a global demand. This study evaluated the effects of rice storage time (initial, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 d), temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30 °C), and cultivar (IRGA 424, IRGA 424RI, and IRGA 431CL) on physiological properties and head rice yield. Moisture, germination, vigor, electrical conductivity, thousand-grain weight, head rice yield, and colorimetric profile were analyzed. IRGA 424 was more susceptible to the parameters evaluated, through the increase in electrical conductivity and reduction in vigor, while IRGA 431CL showed greater reductions in whole grain yield as a function of increasing storage time and temperature. In general, the temperature of 15 °C is the most suitable for maintaining the quality parameters evaluated in this study. Storage at 15 °C allowed for the maintenance of the physiological quality of the seeds, the best head rice yield, and the least change in the color profile when compared to those at higher temperatures (25 and 30 °C).

Cuticle properties, wax composition, and crystal morphology of Hami melon cultivars (Cucumis melo L.) with differential resistance to fruit softening

Cuticle wax chemicals are cultivar-dependent and contribute to storage quality. Few research reported on wax analysis between melting flesh-type (MF; ‘Jinhuami 25’) and nonmelting flesh-type (NMF; ‘Xizhoumi 17’ and ‘Chougua’) Hami melons. Chemicals and crystal structures of Hami melon cuticular wax, cell wall metabolism related to fruit melting, and fruit physiology were analyzed to observe wax functions. Results showed that Hami melon cuticle wax predominantly consists of esters, alkanes, alcohols, aldehydes, and terpenoids. MF-type has a lower alkane/terpenoid ratio, concomitant to its higher weight loss and cuticle permeability. Micromorphology of wax crystals appears as numerous platelets with irregular crystals, and the transformation of wax structure in NMF Hami melon is delayed. Waxy components affect cell wall metabolism and physiological quality, which results in the pulp texture difference between MF-type and NMF-type during storage. Results provide a reference for the regulation of wax synthesis in both types of melons.

IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND SEED GROWTH OF EXPIRED CAYENNE PEPPER (Capsicum frutescens) THROUGH INVIGORATION TECHNIQUE USING YOUNG CORN EXTRACT

One of the problems in companies engaged in the seed. Production is the large number of seeds that can not be sold immediately or accumulate in storage warehouses resulting in expired seeds. Seeds in this condition will experience deterioration and decrease in quality so special treatment is needed to improve their physiological quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the increase in the physiological quality and growth of expired cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens) seeds through invigoration techniques using young corn extract (Zea mays). The research was conducted in the laboratory and Green House of Seed Production Techniques, Polytechnic of Jember, using the Non-Factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) method with the concentration of young corn extract (K) as the treatment factor. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and followed by DMRT level of 5%. The K factor consists of 5 levels, namely K02 (without soaking in young corn extract), K1 (20% of young corn extract), K2 (25% of young corn extract), K3 (30% of young corn extract), and K4 (35% of young corn extract ). The results showed that the use of young corn extract for expired cayenne pepper seeds invigoration had a significantly different effect on the parameters of growth synchrony and vigor index, and had a very significant effect on the parameters of germination power, maximum growth potential, and growth speed. These results indicate that young corn extract is capable of acting as a bio-invigorator in improving the physiological quality of expired seeds.

Methodology of the accelerated aging test in tiny tomato seeds (solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme)

The objective of this study was to study whether the variations in the performance of the accelerated aging test, in terms of exposure time and temperature involved in the test methodology, performed in the traditional way or in saturated salt solution, would result in an efficient combination to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds tiny tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme). The seeds were submitted to the tests of total germination, germination speed index, first germination count, substrate emergence, seedling length, seedling dry matter, cold test, electrical conductivity and variations in the conduction of the accelerated aging test. The treatments (36, 38, 40 and 42 ºC) x exposure time (24, 36, 48 and 72 hours) x procedures (traditional and saline) were used, with four replications each lot. The averages were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. The simple correlation coefficient (r) between the accelerated aging test results and the emergence test of substrate seedlings was also determined. The traditional accelerated aging test in the combinations of 24 hours at 36 °C and the accelerated aging test with saline in the combinations of 72 hours at 36 °C showed sensitivity for the evaluation of the physiological potential of tiny tomato seeds. For both accelerated aging tests, the temperature of 36 °C was efficient for the evaluation of the physiological potential of tiny tomato seeds.

Physiological Quality of Treated and Stored Barley Seeds

Industrial seed treatment (IST) is used in some grain crops. However, the products used often impair the quality of seeds, especially insecticides. In the case of barley seeds, investigative studies on the use of IST are scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of IST with the fungicide (Iprodione) and insecticide (Thiamethoxan) products, mixed or not, on the physiological quality of barley seeds, before and after storage for two months. A completely randomized design was used, in a 4x2 factorial scheme, with four replications. The treatments consisted of four combinations of applications carried out via IST on barley seeds, of chemical pesticides (fungicide/insecticide), alone or in mixtures, as follows: {T1 – fungicide Iprodione (Rovral); T2 – Thiamethoxan insecticide (Cruizer); T3 – mixture of fungicide/insecticide products (Iprodione + Thiamethoxan); T4 – Control)}, submitted to storage for two months, with evaluations carried out at T0 (treated and analyzed seeds) and T1 (treated seeds stored for 60 days). The following tests were carried out: water content, germination, first count, accelerated aging, seedling length, seedling dry mass. It was concluded that the germination of barley seeds treated with the fungicide Iprodione (Rovral®) and the insecticide Thiamethoxan (Cruizer®), alone and in a mixture applied via IST, maintained the physiological quality of the seeds within the standards for commercialization until 60 days of storage. The use of the insecticide Thiamethoxan (Cruizer®) via IST showed greater damage to the physiology of barley seeds during storage (60 days), applied alone or in a mixture with the fungicide Iprodione (Rovral ®).

Multi-trait selection for nutritional and physiological quality of cacao genotypes in irrigated and non-irrigated environments

Water is a scarce, strategic resource and the most important input for economic development, especially in agricultural countries such as Brazil. Cocoa production is directly related to water availability, and, as climate changes, selecting drought-tolerant genotypes is vital to keep cacao crops sustainable. Here, we evaluated cacao genotypes under irrigated and water-stressed conditions and selected drought-tolerant ones based on nutritional and physiological traits. Thirty-nine genotypes were monitored for three years for agronomic traits and higher fruit yield. After this evaluation, the 18 most promising genotypes were evaluated in a randomized block design, under a 2 (with and without irrigation) ×\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ imes$$\\end{document} 18 (genotypes) factorial arrangement, with three replicates and five plants per plot. We evaluated seven physiological and 11 nutritional traits, selecting genotypes based on the Genotype-by-Trait Biplot approach. Significant effects (p < 0.05) were observed for the nutritional traits N, P, Mg, S, Zn, Cu, Mn and for the physiological traits CO2 assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), intercellular and atmospheric CO2 concentrations (Ci/Ca), intrinsic water use efficiency (A/gs), instantaneous water use efficiency (A/E), and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (A/Ci), as determined by analysis of variance. The genotype ×\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ imes$$\\end{document} irrigation treatment interaction was significant (p < 0.05) for the traits A, gs, and E. Genotypes CP 41, CP 43, and CCN 51 exhibited superior performance for both nutritional and physiological traits (A, gs, and E). In the irrigated environment, CP 41 showed superiority in traits such as P, A/E, A/gs, Mn, S, and Zn. Conversely, under non-irrigated conditions, CP 43 exhibited better performance in nutritional properties, specifically Mn, Mg, and Zn. Notably, in both irrigated and non-irrigated environments, CCN 51 excelled in key physiological traits, including A/Ci, A/E, and A/gs. This robust performance across diverse conditions suggests that these three genotypes possess physiological mechanisms to endure water-stressed conditions. Our research can generate valuable insights into these genotypes informing suitable choices for cocoa cultivation, especially in the context of global climate change.

1-MCP delays ripening and maintains postharvest quality of nectarines by regulating transcriptional and metabolic responses

Fast ripening and senescence is one of the major problems for postharvest nectarines, leading to a rapid decline in postharvest quality. As an ethylene-action inhibitor, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) was applied to treat nectarines with a concentration of 1 μL L−1 for 18 h and stored at 0 °C for 25 d. The postharvest physiological quality attributes including the flesh color, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acid (TA), and aroma quality of fruit flesh from different positions (top, equatorial, and bottom of nectarine fruit) were evaluated to elucidate that 1-MCP differentially influence the flesh ripening and biological metabolism. The findings indicated that 1-MCP treatment effectively delayed ripening and senescence processes. Moreover, the cellular microstructure and intracellular organelles were observed which suggested that 1-MCP delayed the deformation of the cellular microstructure and maintained its integrity. Furthermore, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses explored the differential metabolites and their biological features. The differential metabolites after 1-MCP treatment were related to signal transduction, membrane transport, genetic translation, and metabolism pathways. The KEGG enrichment results showed that the most impacted pathways by 1-MCP include glycolysis and gluconeogenesis.

Standardization of the accelerated aging test methodology for snap bean seed to differentiate batches by physiological quality

ABSTRACT Seed quality is extremely important for the entire production chain, given that good quality seeds contribute to obtaining vigorous and productive plants. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of batches through vigor tests to complement the results obtained from the standard germination test. Because snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is propagated through seed, this work was undertaken to standardize the methodology of accelerated aging test for snap bean seed compared to the standard germination test to differentiate batches in terms of physiological quality. The study utilized the cvs “Top Seed” and “Feltrin,” with 48, 72 or 96 h exposure periods and temperatures ranging from 15 to 40°C. There were four replications of 50 seeds for each condition. During the germination test, the percentage of first germination count and total germination were analyzed, and the vigor was expressed as a percentage during the accelerated aging test. The accelerated aging test for snap bean seed should be conducted at a temperature of 41°C, with an exposure period of 72 h, considering that this methodology allows differentiating seed batches in terms of physiological quality, contributing to decision-making in the seed production chain. The accelerated aging test was more efficient than the standard germination test in differentiating batches of snap bean seed, proving to be a possible alternative to evaluating the physiological quality of batches of snap bean seed.

Physiological quality of white oat seeds produced with Nitrogen, Iron and Zinc biofortification

The main function of the seed is the perpetuation of the species, which means it is able to disperse to new environments and give rise to new plants. The use of high quality seeds is one of the determining factors for the establishment of the crop and is directly related to maximum germination potential and vigor, resulting in uniformity of the plant stand. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the physiological quality of white oat seeds produced under different nitrogen management and foliar biofortification with iron and zinc. In the second week of June 2021, white oat cultivar URS Corona was sown in plots of 5 lines, 5 m long each and spacing between lines of 0.20 m, totaling an experimental unit of 5 m². The treatments consisted of different doses of biofortification with Iron and Zinc applied foliarly to the plant when the inflorescence was exposed, at the beginning of grain filling. For biofortification, the source of iron used was the compound of FeSO4 7H2O and zinc, ZnSO4 5H2O was used, each nutrient was applied separately and the combination of iron + zinc at doses of 0, 1000, 2000 and 4000 g ha-1, and to aplication of nitrogen use ureia 45%. Applications were carried out with a knapsack sprayer, in a spray volume of 500 liters ha-1. The experiment was harvested 130 days after emergence, in the full maturation phase, at phenological stage 90, according to the ZADOKS scale. The tests carried out to evaluate the physiological quality of the seeds were: first germination count, germination, accelerated aging, root length, shoot length, total length, seedling dry mass and electrical conductivity. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 5% probability of error. For the variables that showed a significant effect, an average test was carried out for qualitative sources of variation and polynomial regression for quantitative sources of variation with a 5% probability of error, carried out with the aid of the GENES software. From the evaluations, it was concluded that the use of foliar biofortification with iron and zinc alone or in combination, aplication with nitrogen influenced the physiological quality of white oat seeds.

Physiological potential of canola seeds and its relationship with electrical conductivity

The objective of this work was to evaluate the electrical conductivity test to estimate the physiological potential of canola seeds, aiming to establish an efficient methodology for its execution. The experimental design was completely randomized with hybrids and 4 replications (lot 1 – Hyola 571 CL; lot 2 – Hyola 433; lot 3 – Hyola 76; lot 4 – Hyola 401; lot 5 – Hyola 61 and lot 6 – Hyola 50). Physical quality (degree of moisture and weight of a thousand seeds) and physiological quality (germination, first germination count, germination speed index, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, root length, shoot length and total, seedling dry mass). For the electrical conductivity test, variations in water volume (25, 50, 75 ml), number of seeds (25, 50, 75 and 100 seeds) and exposure time (1, 3, 6, 9.12 and 24 hours). Four replicates of each lot were evaluated. The electrical conductivity test was efficient for evaluating the physiological potential of canola seeds, with combinations of 50 or 75 seeds immersed in 75 ml of deionized water, for periods of 6 and 9 hours, providing better stratification of lots.

Nisin combined with radio frequency: Effectiveness on microbial growth, physiological quality, and structure of pre-made carrots

Pre-made carrots are fresh and ready to eat or to be cooked. However, processing steps such as washing, peeling, and slicing often result in juice loss and microbial contamination. In this study, an optimal combination between nisin and radio frequency (NRF) for synergistic processing of pre-made carrots was proposed by orthogonal tests. Pre-made carrots were separately treated by NRF, single nisin or radio frequency (RF), nisin and ultrasonic waves (NUW), or blanching, and then the total bacterial count, physiological quality, and physical microstructure during storage were compared between groups. The results showed that NRF treatment effectively inactivated bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli) and extended the shelf life of pre-made carrots to 42 days. Carotenoids and ascorbic acid were considerably retained. The whiteness index and unacceptable odor of pre-made carrots were also significantly suppressed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the cellular microstructure of NRF-treated pre-made carrots had slight curling and folding, which was superior to NUW or blanching treatments. Pearson correlation analysis found that there were different correlations between the quality of pre-made carrots with different treatments. Therefore, the experimental results of this paper can provide help for food processing industry to produce high-quality pre-made carrots, and even other pre-made foods as well.

Biopriming of cayenne seed (Capsicum frutescens L.) using Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) - producing fluorescent pseudomonads to increase germination and growth of seeds

Capsicum frutescens L. is one of the horticultural commodities that plays an important role as food and industrial raw materials. The amount of chili consumption continues to increase, so its production requires quality seeds. The physiological quality of seeds can be improved, one of which is by using fluorescent pseudomonads as biopriming. The fluorescent pseudomonads LAHLS1, LAHT1, LAHCS2, and PfPb3 produced Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) with concentrations between 5.37 to 20.31 ppm, and were significantly different. Biopriming of C. frutescens L. seeds using different fluorescent pseudomonad isolates affected the percentage of germination, wet weight and dry weight of C. frutescens L. seedlings. Fluorescent pseudomonads LAHLS1, LAHT1, LAHCS2, and PfPb3 can increase the percentage of C. frutescens L. seed germination up to 100%. The highest seedling wet weight (43.52 mg) was found in seed biopriming using fluorescent pseudomonad LAHLS1 and the lowest was control (12.33 mg). The highest seedling dry weight (4.40 mg) was found in seed biopriming using fluorescent pseudomonad LAHLS1, and the lowest was control (0.93 mg). The results showed the potential use of IAA-producing fluorescent pseudomonads in increasing the percentage of seed germination and influencing the growth of C. frutescens L. seedlings based on observations of wet weight and dry weight of seeds.

Studies on the physiological quality of stored sorghum seed concerning germinative parameters

Seed germination and the field crop stand that is necessary for the higher yield area ffected by the physiological quality of the seed i.e. the seed viability and vigor. The Rabi sorghum seed is considereda”moderate storer” as its viability fluctuates drastically under warm and humid storage conditions. In the present research,we evaluated the stored Rabi sorghum seed material for its physiological quality particularly vigor and viability as germinative evaluation criteria. The seeds of Rabi sorghum variety, SPV-1411, SPV-1595, CSV-22R, CSV-29R and SPV2407 were stored in air-tight plastic containers and kept under ambient laboratory conditions were evaluated for germinative criteria. The storage of seeds resulted in the deterioration of seed vigor as evidenced by the decline in the various parameters investigated.

Analysis of Multimodal Biosignals during Surprise Conditions Correlates with Psychological Traits

Surprise can simultaneously represent bad or good, pleasant or unpleasant, with the same experiences since understanding how humans' physiological qualities link with their emotional or mental health is required. We conducted quantitative research to concisely correlate mental stress and emotional issues by measuring brain activity, breathing, and heart rate in real time while executing specialized audio-visual stimulation to elicit a surprise event. We evaluated the frequency and temporal domain characteristics to determine if physiological measurements matched biochemical metrics and subjective stress assessments during the elicit surprise condition experiment. We discovered that the brain is still preferable to most in recognizing a human's psychological changes over a short period of time. The temporal (T3) (r = 0.544, p = 0.005) and frontal (Fz) (r = 0.519, p = 0.008) regions were shown to correlate with salivary amylase activity. In comparison to other channels, there was a negative association between stress perception and the occipital site (O1, r = -0.618, p = 0.001). We also found that heart rate variability activity correlates with arousal perception. By looking at specific multimodal biosignals, it is possible to understand human psychological traits by recording specific physiological signals for daily mental health monitoring.

Correlation between the quality and health of maize (Zea mays) seeds with flint and floury endosperms produced in the Central Highland Valley of Mexico

The assessment of physiological quality and health in maize seeds is crucial for selecting high-quality genotypes suitable for planting. However, this quality can vary due to different variables, including genotype or endosperm composition. Therefore, the present study aimed to establish a relationship between the physiological quality and health of the nine evaluated maize genotypes. Special attention was given to the dimensions of flint and floury endosperms, following protocols described by ISTA. Additionally, the study aimed to understand the interaction between each assessed variable and its influence on the performance of crops adapted to the Central High Valleys region of Mexico. The results of this study demonstrated that seeds with flint endosperms exhibited superiority in their physiological quality and health compared to those with floury endosperms.

Chemical treatment and mobilization of reserves of soybean seeds under water deficit

Abstract: Seed treatments with chemical phytosanitary products can compromise mobilization of seed reserves for the seedlings under water deficit conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological quality, the initial seedling development, and the mobilization of reserves in soybean seeds treated with phytosanitary products under water deficit. The trial was set up in a completely randomized design in a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement: chemical treatments (control, Thiamethoxam, Fludioxonil + Metalaxyl-M, and Fipronil + Pyraclostrobin + Tiophanate-methyl) × osmotic potentials (0, -0.1, -0.2, and -0.3 MPa). We analyzed the following variables: germination; hypocotyl length, root length, and total seedling length; seedling length vigor index; cotyledon dry matter weight; seedling dry matter yield; seed reserve reduction; relative dry matter yield; seed reserve reduction rate; and conversion efficiency of seed reserves into seedling dry matter. Seed quality and seedling development decline under water deficit conditions. The treatment with Fipronil + Pyraclostrobin + Thiophanate-methyl results in lower phytotoxicity. The estimated cotyledon dry matter (CDM) weight is an indicator of phytotoxicity and water deficit. Mobilization of reserves is compromised in seeds treated with insecticides, reducing the capacity of conversion of reserves into dry matter. There is an inversely proportional relationship between the reduction in conversion and the efficiency of conversion of reserves of treated soybean seeds under water deficit.

Physiological quality of seeds of Coffea canephora from early and late clones during maturation

Physiological quality of seeds of Coffea canephora from early and late clones during maturation

Physiological potential of soybean seeds subjected to industrial treatment and storage time

The use of treated seeds is a common practice among soybean producers, as it provides protection against pests and diseases existing in the soil, preventing their spread in exempt areas. Therefore, chemical treatment combined with different products becomes essential to guarantee success in the field.The objective of this study was to assess the influence that 7 industrial seed treatments (ISTs) and their respective slurry volumes have on the physiological potential of soybean seeds. The assay was carried out in a completely randomized design with 4 replications, with the treatments being arranged in a 7x6 factorial scheme (industrial treatments x storage periods). The chemical treatments were: control (untreated seeds) (ST1), fungicide + insecticide-1 + drying powder (ST2), fungicide + insecticide-1 + drying powder + micronutrient (ST3), fungicide + insecticide-1 + drying powder + micronutrient + biostimulant (ST4), fungicide + insecticide-1 + polymer + drying powder + insecticide-2 (ST5), fungicide + insecticide-1 + polymer + drying powder + insecticide-2 + micronutrient (ST6), fungicide + insecticide-1 + polymer + drying powder + insecticide-2 + micronutrient + biostimulant (ST7). For each IST, the specific slurry volume was 0, 350, 550, 1050, 500, 700 and 1200 mL 100 kg-1 of seeds, respectively. The seeds were stored for periods of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 days and subsequently checked for their physiological potential. In each storage period, the following tests were conducted: germination, first count, accelerated aging, emergence speed index, and final emergence in sand substrate. Among the evaluated treatments, ST4 and ST7 were the most harmful to the physiological quality of the seeds in all storage periods, since they presented the greatest slurry volume. In relation to treatments with less harmful effects on seeds, treatments ST2 and ST3 presented higher averages for most of the variables analyzed

Caracterização físico-química de frutos, biometria e dormência de sementes de marula

ABSTRACT: This study recorded the physicochemical properties of the marula fruits, the biometry and breaking the dormancy in the marula seeds. Using 200 ripe fruits, the physicochemical characterization was done. From a random sample of 400 seeds, an assessment of the biometrics was performed, and the weight, length, width and thickness of the fruits and seeds were evaluated. Two experiments were conducted to study dormancy breaking using pre-germination treatments, which included immersing the marula seeds five times (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes) in concentrated sulfuric acid (96%) and water, at 65 ºC temperature. The control was time zero, using plain distilled water, with 25 seeds per treatment and four replications. The marula fruits revealed average values of 21.65 ± 3.44 g, 35.5 ± 2.38 and 34.8 ± 2.73, respectively, for weight, diameter and length. The soluble solids (SS), Hydrogenonic Potential (pH), titratable acidity (AT) and ratio (AT/SS) were 14.74 ± 1.0º Brix, 3.93 ± 0.49 pH, 0.63 ± 0.22 and 27.07 ± 12.10, respectively. For the weight of one thousand seeds, the average value was 3.576 ± 188.4 g. The mean values for the dimensions of the width, length and diameter of the seeds were 22.9 ± 2.11; 23.7 ± 2.04; and 14.9 ± 2.09 mm, respectively. The physiological quality of these seeds was enhanced by immersing the seeds from freshly picked fruits in sulfuric acid for a maximum of 30 minutes and storing them for six months.

Effects of gibberellic acid concentration and fruit maturation stage on seed germination and vigor of pitahaya seedlings.

With increased interest in cultivation, the study of white-fleshed pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus (Haw.) D.R. Hunt, Cactaceae family) seedling production is of fundamental importance in the search for novel techniques to increase cultivation and guarantee homogeneous and productive orchards. The present study investigated the influence of various gibberellic acid (GA3) concentrations and fruit maturation stages on seed germination and vigor of white-fleshed pitahaya seedlings, considering the physiological quality of seedlings produced to support genetic breeding and conservation programs of the species. White-fleshed pitahaya seeds at two maturation stages (physiologically ripe and maintained at 10 °C in Biochemical Oxygen Demand incubators for three months) were treated with varying GA3 concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 500 mg/L. We observed the influence of fruit storage on seedling germination, emergence, and growth as a function of GA3 concentration. According to the results, seeds extracted from ripe white-fleshed pitahaya fruits grown under the conditions tested here required GA3 application to increase seedling emergence and vigor, with optimal doses in the 150-300-mg/L range. In the case of pitahaya fruits intended for storage for future seed removal and maintained under the same sowing conditions, the application of higher doses of GA3 was necessary when compared to the previous condition, with a minimum dose of 500 mg/L GA3. The present study shows that the maturation stage of white-fleshed pitahaya fruits intended for seed removal influences the quality of seedlings; therefore, the use of seeds extracted from ripe pitahaya fruits without fermentation is more appropriate for the purpose.