Physical and physiological quality of mangaba seeds obtained by different processing methods¹

Qualidade física e fisiológica de sementes de mangaba obtidas por diferentes métodos de beneficiamento

HIGHLIGHTS

The seeds obtained from the fruit pulp industry have a physiological quality for seedling propagation.

There is a high potential for reducing fruit pulp industry residues by using these seeds for propagation.

Higher pixel density is observed for full seeds with an efficiency of forming normal seedlings.

Key words:
Hancornia speciosa; germination; X-ray; vigor

ABSTRACT

The beneficiation of seeds from a native species is often a time-consuming activity and it requires manual processing. A possible alternative are seeds from mechanical processing in the fruit pulp industry. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of manual and mechanical processing on the physical and physiological quality of mangaba seeds. The water concentration, the weight of 1,000 seeds, mechanical damage by radiographic images, electrical conductivity, the percentage of germination, the first germination count, and the length and dry mass of seedlings were all evaluated. The radiographic images allowed for classification as to the development of the embryos and the occurrences of damage. There were no differences in water concentration, germination, the first germination count, and the length of the seedlings. The mechanically processed seeds showed lower electrical conductivity and seedlings with a greater dry mass. The processing methods used did not affect the physiological potential of the mangaba seeds.

Key words:
Hancornia speciosa; germination; X-ray; vigor