Effect of the Storage Period on the Physiological Quality of Cagaita Seeds (Eugenia dysenterica DC.)

Abstract

Cagaita seeds quickly lose their germination power when stored in the natural environmental conditions of the Cerrado. Like most native Cerrado species, data on more favorable seed viability conservation conditions are still quite scarce. The experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Tocantins in the city of Gurupi - TO, between November 5, 2019, and March 7, 2020. Cagaita seeds (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) were used to perform it. The treatments applied to the seeds consisted of five sowing times, at intervals of three days. In general, the evaluated characteristics showed sensitivity by indicating differences between sowing times, where the highest values, root, and shoot length were obtained when the seeds were sown on 11/05/2019 (12.8 cm; 10.2 cm), respectively, and lower at sowing of 11/17/2019 (7.8 cm; 7.0 cm), respectively. The values obtained from the first emergency count allowed us to differentiate the sowing times at vigor levels, they were influenced by the sowing times. Cagaita seeds, sowing soon after fruit collection, showed higher viability and vigor.