PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF Erythrina verna SEEDLINGS ON SEED PRE-GERMINATIVE TREATMENTS AND SOWING DEPTH

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine the most appropriate pre-germinative treatment of seeds and sowing depth for the production of Erythrina verna seedlings. For this, the following pre-germinative treatments were initially studied: control (intact seeds); mechanical scarification on the area opposite to hilum, with the help of sandpaper number 80; mechanical scarification on the raphe region, with the help of sandpaper number 80; soaking in water for 24 hours. In a second experiment, the seeds were sown at the depths of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 cm. After 15 days, we evaluated the percentage of emergence, emergence speed index, shoot length and seedling root length, dry weight of shoot and root dry mass of seedlings. The seeds of Erythrina verna present coat dormancy that can be broken by mechanical scarification in the area opposite to the hilum. The seedlings present the best physiological quality when seeds are sowing at 1 to 3 cm depth, where the highest percentages of emergence, speed of emergence index, length of shoot and length root and shoot dry mass are obtained.