Degree of seed desiccation sensitivity of the Amazonian palm Oenocarpus bacaba depends on the criterion for germination

• Published in: Acta amazonica 2021-06, Vol.51 (2), p.85-90
• Main Authors: BASTOS, Lydiane Lucia de Sousa, CALVI, Geângelo Petene, LIMA JÚNIOR, Manuel de Jesus Vieira, FERRAZ, Isolde Dorothea Kossmann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arecaceae; drying; recalcitrant seeds; seedling; stress
• ISSN: 0044-5967; 1809-4392
• DOI: 10.1590/1809-4392202001951

ABSTRACT Across the seed-seedling transition, several germination criteria are used in studies of palm-seed germination. In Oenocarpus bataua, these criteria have differential tolerance to thermal stress. In this study, we evaluated the tolerance of germination criteria to seed desiccation of the congeneric Oenocarpus bacaba. We dried seeds to different moisture contents (MC) before scoring first cataphyll, second cataphyll, enclosed eophyll and expanded eophyll. Seeds without drying had 41.7% MC. Germination success reached close to 70% after 75 and 105 days, depending on the germination criterion. Safe MC was close to initial MC and all seeds were dead with MC < 26.7%. As the primordial organs of the cataphylls and the eophyll are already detectable in the palm-seed embryo, all were affected by drying. Critical MC, defined here as 50% loss of germination capacity, increased from 35.4% (first cataphyll) to 37.1% (expanded eophyll) and confirmed that, across the seed-seedling transition, more advanced germination stages had a higher sensitivity to desiccation. During germination and development, the criteria appear in sequence over several weeks. Consequently, the desiccation damage was only detectable when the last criterion was evaluated. To avoid an underestimation of damages, we suggest that seed-stress studies in palms should take into account an adequate period for seedling development, which, for O. bacaba, was 105 days until the expansion of the eophyll. RESUMO Ao longo da transição semente-plântula, vários critérios de germinação são usados em estudos de germinação de sementes de palmeiras. Em Oenocarpus bataua, esses critérios apresentam tolerância diferencial ao estresse térmico. Neste estudo, avaliamos a tolerância dos critérios de germinação ao dessecamento de sementes da congênere Oenocarpus bacaba. Dessecamos sementes a diferentes teores de água (TA) antes de avaliar primeiro catafilo, segundo catafilo, eofilo fechado e eofilo expandido. O TA de sementes sem dessecamento foi de 41,7%. O sucesso da germinação atingiu cerca de 70% após 75 e 105 dias, dependendo do critério de germinação. O TA de segurança foi próximo ao TA inicial e todas as sementes estavam mortas com TA < 26,7%. Como os órgãos primordiais dos catafilos e do eofilo são detectáveis no embrião da semente destas palmeiras, todos foram afetados pelo dessecamento. O TA crítico, definido aqui como 50% de perda da capacidade de germinação, aumentou de 35,4% (primeiro catafilo) para