Tolerance to Desiccation of Diospyros inconstans Jacq. (Ebenaceae) Seeds at Different Maturity Stages

Abstract

Classifying seeds in terms of desiccation tolerance is the first step in determining the potential and most appropriate conditions for storage. This study aimed to characterize the tolerance to desiccation of Diospyros inconstans seeds from fruits at different maturity stages. Germination tests were performed in a 3 x 6 factorial scheme, with seeds from fruits at three maturity stages (unripe, intermediate and ripe) and six moisture contents (initial, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5% and 2.5%). Accumulated germination was analyzed by the nonlinear models Gompertz and Logistic. The percentages of normal seedlings and unviable seeds were subjected to analyses of variance and regression. Diospyros inconstans seeds are tolerant to desiccation. The tolerance is higher in seeds from fruit with intermediate maturation than unripe and ripe fruits.

Keywords:
‘fruta de jacu’; germination; moisture content