TITLE:
Drying, Storage and Osmotic Conditioning of Psidium guineense Swartz Seeds
AUTHORS:
Tathiana Elisa Masetto, Eliane Marques da Silva Neves, Silvana de Paula Quintão Scalon, Daiane Mugnol Dresch
KEYWORDS:
Myrtaceae, Brazilian Savannah, Longevity, Polyethylene Glycol
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.17,
July
31,
2014
ABSTRACT:
This study aimed to
evaluate the tolerance of Psidium
guineense Swartz seeds to air-dry storage and priming. Desiccation
tolerance was analyzed for seed moisture content of 15%, 10% and 5%. The
longevity of seeds during storage was analyzed in seeds with 5% and 10%
moisture content maintained in cold and dry
chamber (16°C ± 1°C/40%
RH), laboratory environment (25°C ± 2°C/60% RH), refrigerator (5°C ± 1°C) and freezer (-18°C ± 1°C)
during 90 days, and the priming effect in seeds that were imbibed for 5 or 10
days in polyethylene glycol 6000 at osmotic potentials of -0.3
MPa, -0.5 MPa, -0.7 MPa and -1.3
MPa. The quality of seeds was evaluated after desiccation, storage, and priming
by the seeds germination, fresh weight of seedlings, seedlings growth, and
germination medium time. The experimental design was completely randomized,
with four replications of 25 seeds each one. Although a reduction in seed
germination and seedling growth was observed in seeds with 10% and 5% moisture
content, drying did not cause complete loss of seed germination and seedling
development. Sour guava seeds exhibited an orthodox response to desiccation
tolerance and storage. Seed germination and seedling growth were reduced with
increased osmotic potential of osmoconditioning. However, conditioning of 10
days increased the seeds germination and optimized the average germination time
to 20 days. The seeds of Psidium
guineense are able to tolerate desiccation and storage for up to 90 days at
a temperature of 5°C ± 1°C
and priming for 10 days is a promising technique for propagation of P. guineense.