Storage of Annona squamosa L. seeds

Abstract

The sugar apple is a species of great economic importance. The propagation is through seeds, but experimental studies focused on ascertaining the ideal conditions of seed storage, especially packing and environments, are mostly lacking. The current work thus aimed to evaluate the influence of different types of packing, environments and storage times over the germination and vigor of sugar apple seeds. The work was carried out at the Seed Laboratory of UESB – Campus de Vitória da Conquista, BA. Seeds were conditioned in paper and plastic and were maintained in the atmosphere and refrigerator. The evaluation times were 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the beginning of the experiment. The following were evaluated: seed water content, germination, and vigor. Among the main results it was proved that the maximum storage time of sugar apple seeds was six months. Paper bags were best for the conservation of seed viability, regardless of the environment. The highest percentages of germination were obtained using paper bags in environmental conditions.

Keywords

• packing
• seed conservation
• sugar apple