Germination of Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex. Reiss: seeds storage, packings and pre-germinative treatments

Abstract

The work was conducted with objective to test the effect of storage, packings and pre-germinative treatments about germination of Maytenus ilicifolia seeds. The seeds were collected in native areas of Dourados, Brazil, stored under refrigeration at a cold room with temperature at 15 ± 2 ºC in paper packing or aluminum for 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. In the conduction of germination test three pre-germinative treatments were accomplished (soaked per 12 hours in water; giberelina 250 mg L⁻¹-GA250 and nitrate potassium 0.1% - KNO₃). The design used was completely randomized in a factorial scheme 2 x 5 x 3, with four replications and it was used 10 seeds by plot. Every two days the seeds were counted and there were measured their length, root and shoot of seedlings; it was also calculated the percentage and index speed germination of seeds. There was not significant difference at germination of seeds stored and of those with 30 and 60 days (average of 94.5%), although IVG was the largest in 30 days (0.83). There was not significant difference at germination percentage and IVG of seeds stored in paper or aluminum (average of 89.89% and 0.59 respectively), although the lengths of the root and the shoot were largest in the seeds in aluminum (3.23 cm and 2.70 cm, respectively). The seeds only soaked at a water and those treated with KNO₃ presented, in average, a larger germination (average of 95%) and IVG (0.63), however, the largest root length and the largest aerial part were observed in the treatment with GA250 (3.27 cm and 2.81 cm, respectively). Considering the germination average in the finish of storage period (78.4%) and IVG (0.29), the Maytenus ilicifolia seeds can be stored for 120 days, at most, in a paper or aluminum (15 ± 2 ºC), not needing any pre-germinative treatment to reach high germination percentage.