Fruit and Seed Biometrics and Influence on Germination of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Jackfruit)

Abstract

This work aimed to characterize the biometry of fruits and seeds of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. and to verify its influence on germination. The fruits were collected from the matrices trees in the Jardim Botânico do Recife (JBR), Pernambuco. From 10 pathogen-free A. heterophyllus matrices, 50 fruits (multiple fruits, which in the research were considered as single fruit) and 500 seeds were collected, being measured length, width and thickness, using a tape measure (for fruits ) and digital caliper (precision 0.001 mm) for the seeds, as well as weighing on a precision scale. The seeds were classified by size: Small (≤ 2.5 cm), medium (2.6 to 3 cm) and large (≥ 3.1 cm). The germination test was conducted in a greenhouse of the JBR, with a 50% shading screen. The container used was a 50 x 25 x 5 cm polypropylene tray with holes at the bottom to provide drainage. The obtained results allow inferring that the seed size did not influence the vigor on A. heterophyllus germination in a greenhouse. The variation found in fruit size and number of seeds per fruit, as well as field observations regarding fruit and seed morphology, pulp flavor and consistency, allows us to infer that there is a possibility of several varieties of the species occurring in the studied site.