FRUIT AND SEED MORFOMETRY, SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING VIGOR of Parkia gigantocarpa

The objectives of this work were to characterize fruits and seeds and evaluate seed germination and seedling vigor from fifteen parent plants of Parkia gigantocarpa Ducke. The fresh weight, length, width, and thickness of fruits and seeds were determined. The germination was tested in a sand substrate, with four replications of 25 seeds per treatment (parent plants). The number of days for emergence, emergence percentage, emergence speed index, germination percentage, and seedling dry weight were evaluated. The fruits presented means for fresh weight, length, width, and thickness of 115.0 g; 621.3 mm; 60.8 mm, and 9.8 mm, respectively. The seeds presented means for fresh weight, length, width, and thickness of 1.1 g, 22.8 mm, 11.2 mm, and 7.0 mm, respectively. The emergence was fast and uniform, which occurred from the fifth to the sixth day after seeding, reaching 91% germination for the parent HB9, but not differing from the parents HB2, HB3, and HB6. The seedlings from the parents HB2, HB3, HB6, and HB9 were more vigorous due to their higher dry matter accumulation. The results found showed that, even belonging to the same species, P. gigantocarpa seeds from different parent plants present variability in biometric characteristics of fruits and seeds. The seed collected from different parent plants showed differences in germination capacity and seedling vigor

Influência da luz e giberelina na velocidade de germinação das sementes de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.)

There are various factors that interfere with seed germination. In this research the effect of light, gibberellins and paclobutrazol in coffee seed germination were evaluated. Seeds of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) from cultivar Rubi harvested at the developmental stage known as cherry were dried until 12% of water content. The first trial was performed in factorial design (2x2), the condtions being two (light and dark), presence and absence of gibberellins. The substrate was imbibed with 20ml of GA3 (100mM) and the control treatment with distillated water. The second trial was performed in factorial design (4x2x3), with four concentrations of paclobutrazol (0; 0,1;1,0; and 10 mM), two conditions (light and dark) and three storage conditions (0, 4 and 8 months). The substrate was imbibed with 20mL of paclobutrazol and the control treatment with distillated water. Both trials were performed in four replications of fifty seeds. Seed sowing was performed in gerbox tray with two blotting papers and one germitest paper. The dark condition was created by wrapping the gerbox with an aluminum foil. The germiantion velocity rate, germination at thirty days and the time to 50% root protrusion were evaluated. The gibberellin treatment in seed coffee decreases the germination velocity rate and percentage of germination. The gibberellin inhibitor decreases the gemination velocity rate but it did not reduce the effect of light. High values of germination velocity rate were observed in dark.Vários são os fatores que interferem no processo de germinação de sementes de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.). Nesta pesquisa, foi avaliado o efeito da luz, da giberelina e do bloqueador de giberelina paclobutrazol na germinação das sementes. Foram utilizadas sementes da cultivar Rubi, colhidas no estádio cereja e secas até 12% de umidade. O ensaio I foi realizado em esquema fatorial (2x2), dois ambientes (claro e escuro), na presença e ausência de giberelina. O substrato foi umedecido com 20 mL de GA3 (100mM) ou com água destilada no caso da testemunha. O ensaio II foi realizado em esquema fatorial (4x2x3): quatro concentrações de paclobutrazol (0; 0,1; 1,0 e 10,0 mM), dois ambientes (claro e escuro) e três épocas de armazenamento (0, 4 e 8 meses). O substrato foi umedecido com 20 mL do bloqueador e o substrato da testemunha, com água destilada. Ambos os ensaios foram realizados com quatro repetições de 50 sementes e a semeadura foi feita em caixas tipo gerbox sobre dois papéis mata-borrão e sob uma folha de papel germiteste. Para simular o ambiente escuro, os gerbox foram envolvidos em papel alumínio, e a avaliação, feita no escuro com luz verde. Avaliou-se o índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG), germinação aos 30 dias e o tempo para que ocorresse 50% de protrusão radicular (T50). A adição de giberelina na embebição de sementes de cafeeiro reduziu a velocidade e a porcentagem de germinação. Independentemente da luz, o paclobutrazol reduziu a velocidade de germinação a partir da concentração de 1,0 mM. A maior velocidade de germinação após 4 meses de armazenamento ocorreu na ausência de luz

Alteration of the isoenzymes patterns in corn seeds infected by fungi

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a interferência dos fungos Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme e Penicillium spp. sobre padrões eletroforéticos das sementes de milho. Tais padrões são, normalmente, utilizados na identificação de cultivares e na certificação da pureza genética da espécie em estudo. Sementes da cultivar C-805 foram infectadas artificialmente com os referidos fungos; outra parte delas foi tratada com Benomil e Thiabendazol, e ainda outra parte (controle) não foi tratada. As amostras foram acondicionadas em câmara de crescimento (25 oC, 95% de umidade relativa) por um período de 30 dias. Na análise eletroforética foi avaliada também uma amostra de sementes que não permaneceu em câmara de crescimento, visando detectar possíveis interferências das condições do ambiente de crescimento sobre os padrões eletroforéticos. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que a infecção das sementes com os fungos Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme e Penicillium spp. promove alterações nos padrões eletroforéticos das isoenzimas malato-desidrogenase, esterase, fosfatase ácida, peroxidase e glutamato-oxalacetato-transaminase. A infecção das sementes com Aspergillus flavus promove alterações tanto na intensidade como no número de bandas dos padrões isoenzimáticos da álcool-desidrogenase e malato-desidrogenase.This work aimed at studying the interference of the fungi Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme and Penicillium spp. on the electrophoretic patterns of corn seeds. Normally, these patterns are used in the identification of cultivars and certification of genetic purity of this species. Seeds of the cultivar C-805 were artificially inoculated with the referred fungi; part was treated with Benomyl and Thiabendazole and part was untreated. All seed samples were stored in growing chamber incubator at 25 °C and 95% of relative humidity for 30 days. In the electrophoretic analysis, a seed sample was also evaluated which had not been kept in growing chamber incubator, in order to detect possible interferences of the growing chamber environment on the electrophoretic patterns. The results allowed to conclude that the seed infection by the Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme and Penicillium spp. fungi promotes alterations in the electrophoretic patterns of the malate-dehydrogenase, esterase, acid phosphatase, peroxidase and glutamate-oxalacetate-transaminase isoenzymes. Infection by Aspergillus flavus caused considerable alteration in both intensity and number of bands of the isoenzymatic patterns of alcohol-dehydrogenase and malate-dehydrogenase

Transcripts expressed during germination Sensu Stricto are associated with Vigor in soybean seeds

The rapid and uniform establishment of crop plants in the field underpins food security through uniform mechanical crop harvesting. In order to achieve this, seeds with greater vigor should be used. Vigor is a component of physiological quality related to seed resilience. Despite this importance, there is little knowledge of the association between events at the molecular level and seed vigor. In this study, we investigated the relationship between gene expression during germination and seed vigor in soybean. The expression level of twenty genes related to growth at the beginning of the germination process was correlated with vigor. In this paper, vigor was evaluated by different tests. Then we reported the identification of the genes Expansin-like A1, Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 22, 65-kDa microtubule-associated protein, Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 2, N-glycosylase/DNA lyase OGG1 and Cellulose synthase A catalytic subunit 2, which are expressed during germination, that correlated with several vigor tests commonly used in routine analysis of soybean seed quality. The identification of these transcripts provides tools to study vigor in soybean seeds at the molecular level

Condicionamento fisiológico de sementes de soja, componentes de produção e produtividade

RESUMO: A cultura da soja apresenta importância comercial extremamente relevante para a economia brasileira. O condicionamento fisiológico é uma técnica que permite melhorar a qualidade das sementes, sobretudo daquelas de baixo vigor. O vigor é definido como a capacidade das sementes em apresentar desempenho adequado, quando expostas a diferentes condições ambientais. Sementes de alto vigor produzem plantas com maior velocidade de emergência e maiores níveis nos componentes de rendimento, desdobrando assim em uma maior produtividade de sementes no final do seu ciclo. O objetivo foi avaliar o comportamento agronômico em plantas, em condições de campo, oriundas de sementes de soja condicionadas sob diferentes potenciais osmóticos, em função dos níveis de vigor. Foram avaliados os componentes de produção e a produtividade da soja. O condicionamento fisiológico em sementes de médio vigor influencia positivamente nos componentes (emergência de plântulas, altura de inserção da primeira vagem, número de vagens/planta, número de sementes/planta, número de sementes/vagem) e na produtividade da cultivar 'M7211RR' de soja. Os diferentes níveis de vigor das sementes de soja ocasionam diferenças no número de vagens/planta

Acceleration in Germination Sensu stricto Plays a Central Role on Seedling Vigor in Post-Germination

An obvious relationship between germination sensu stricto and seedling development during post-germination has been considered, but not explained concerning vigor. Taking this into account, we used measurements of water dynamics in germinating seeds and seedling development to clarify that relationship. The biological model was soybean seeds, since it is the most relevant ‘true seed’ produced around world. Our findings suggest that the way energy is used (acceleration) and not its input (velocity) is the main aspect relating seed germination and seedling development, especially when considering vigor. However, velocity and acceleration can be complementary in analyses of seed physiology. Other measurements proposed here also have potential uses for testing vigor in seed lots, such as seedling vigor index and biological activity in the lot. Therefore, water dynamics in germinating seeds can be an interesting way for testing seed lots, because it is an easier, faster and cheaper method in relation to other non-destructive procedures

Protein expression upon desiccation and imbibition of Magnolia ovata A. St.-Hil seeds

The effect of seed drying and imbibition was studied by differential protein expression using two dimensional gel electrophoresis. After drying to a range of water contents, seeds were germinated to assess the viability. Seeds of Magnolia ovata did not withstand the desiccation down to 0.10 g H2O · g-1 dw. The critical water content below which the desiccation sensitivity became apparent was around 0.18 g H2O · g-1 dw (-26.5 MPa). Total protein was extracted and separated by 2D electrophoresis from fresh seeds (0.28 g H2O · g-1 dw), mild dried seeds (0.25 g H2O · g-1 dw) and seeds at low water content (0.10 g H2O · g-1 dw) before and after imbibition for 10 days. The proteome profile revealed the presence of 588 spots on each silver stained gel, from which 21 showed differential expression, correlated with desiccation and germination, by increased or decreased expression. After MS/MS sequencing, three protein spots produced spectra that matched to a Magnolia salicifolia legumin precursor. Results suggested an involvement of this protein in the events taking place during the drying and subsequent imbibitions of the dried seeds.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES