The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of seed dormancy overcoming treatments on the rate and time of emergence of Fabaceae tree species, and on their recruitment when reintroduced in a tropical pasture, in the Brazilian Cerrado. Experiments were carried out in greenhouse and field (Urochloa brizantha pasture), with the species Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, Peltophorum dubium, Pterogyne nitens, Dimorphandra mollis, Copaifera langsdorffii and Hymenaea stigonocarpa, subjected or not to the following treatments of dormancy break: D. mollis and H. stigonocarpa, mechanical scarification; C. langsdorffii and M. caesapiniifolia, chemical scarification with H2SO4; P. nitens, tegument puncture; and P. dubium, immersion in water at 80ºC. Recruitment of plants in the field were followed up for 21 months. Dormancy overcoming promoted greater emergency in four out of the six tested species, in the greenhouse, and in five species in the field. Furthermore, it reduced the emergency timing of the species and increased the recruitment of M. caesalpiniifolia, P. nitens, D. mollis e H. stigonocarpa, at 127 days, and of H. stigonocarpa at 659 days. Seed dormancy overcoming treatments can increase the efficiency of direct seeding in restoration projects of degraded areas in the Cerrado, promoting greater seed emergency and the recruitment of plants.
Fabaceae trees; recruitment; degraded areas restoration; direct seeding; timing of emergence
