Drying and storage of Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos (Bignoniaceae) seeds

Abstract

The conservation of Handroanthus impetiginosus seeds can be affected by some factors such as the moisture content of the seeds and the storage conditions. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the influence of drying and temperature storage place on the physiological quality of H. impetiginosus seeds. The work was divided into two experiments: in the first, the seeds were previously subjected to drying (20ºC and 49% RH) and stored in a laboratory environment for 30 and 90 days. Then, the tests of humidity degree, germination and accelerated aging were carried out. In the second experiment, after the drying process (20 ºC), the seeds were stored in a refrigerator and in a laboratory environment, for 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180 days and evaluated by the germination test. The drying provided an increase in the initial germination of the seeds from 88% to 91%, besides being stable in the periods of accelerated aging. After 90 days of storage in the environment, a drastic drop to 0% of seed viability was observed. However, when stored in a refrigerator, seed germination remained stable throughout the evaluated period, around 96% of germination. Thus, it was concluded that drying did not contribute to the maintenance of the physiological quality of seeds during storage. However, the storage of seeds in a refrigerator maintained a high physiological quality throughout the evaluated period.