Semina: Ciências Agrárias (Feb 2015)

Dormancy break in Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. seeds

  • Francisco Elder Carlos Bezerra Pereira ,
  • Isaías Porfírio Guimarães ,
  • Salvador Barros Torres ,
  • Clarisse Pereira Benedito

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2015v36n1p165
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 36, no. 1
pp. 165 – 170

Abstract

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This research aimed to evaluate different methods for breaking dormancy in seeds of Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth., arboreal species of multiple use in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil. The treatments were: control – intact seeds (T1); immersion in water until it reaches 80 °C (T2), and 100 °C (T3), concentrated sulfuric acid for five minutes (T4), 10 minutes (T5 ), and 15 minutes (T6), mechanical scarification with sandpaper number 80 (T7), mechanical scarification with sandpaper number 80 + immersion in water for six hours (T8), and for 12 hours (T9), soaking in water for 24 hours (T10), and for 48 hours (T11). The characteristics evaluated were such: emergency, mean emergency time, shoot length, root length, number of leaves, leaf area and total dry matter. The best method for breaking dormancy of seeds of Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. is mechanical scarification with sandpaper number 80.

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