The germination potential of 'Orelha de macaco" seeds after pre-germination treatments and the initial growth of seedlings treated with gibberellic acid (GA) and shade were evaluated. Seeds received the following treatments of scarification and imbibition: 1) H2SO4/5 minutes; 2) H2SO4/5 minutes + water/24 hours; 3) H2SO4/10 minutes + GA 200 mg.L-1/24 hours; 4) H2SO4/5 minutes + KNO3 1%/24 hours; 5) H2SO4/10 minutes; 6) H2SO4/10 minutes + water/24 hours; 7) H2SO4/10 minutes + GA 200mg.L-1/24 hours; 8) H2SO4/10 minutes + KNO3 1%/24 hours; 9) water 24 hours; 10) control and sowing was carried out in green house. Seedlings were treated with GA 0.50 and 100 mg.L-1 and kept under 50% shade and in full sun up to 180 days after sowing. There was no germination in the control and for imbibition only in water. Emergence, LR, DMR and DMAP did not vary between scarification treatments (89% mean, 6.55cm, 0.08 g and 1.8g, LR in H2SO4/10 minutes + KNO3 (13.73). Based on these results, seeds can be scarified for 10 minutes with H2SO4. Seedlings in full sun showed the highest height (51.94 cm), DML (3.6g), DMAP 97.21g), DMR (4.27g) and TDM (11.59g). ALR, LAR and RGR did not vary between light intensity and GA treatments. The studied doses of gibberellin did not alter seedling growth.
Seed; scarification; shade; gibberellic acid
