Efficiency of dormancy breaking treatments in Fabaceae seeds

Abstract

There are many treatments to overcome or breaking dormancy. However, descriptions of the consequences of these methods in seedling development are scarce. Because of the relevance of Fabaceae family in the context of dormancy seeds, seedlings and seeds of 10 forest species were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively as to damage and infections caused by invasive treatments. Scarification, incision and preheat methods were applied to seeds. They were then sampled was arranged in germitest, forming rolls distributed in a germination boxes under continuous fluorescent white light at 25 ºC. Root protrusion used as the sole criterion, overestimates the efficiency of germination treatments to overcome or breaking dormancy. Scarification and incision are efficient for Enterolobium contortisiliquum, Parkia pendula, Senna macranthera and Senna multijuga seeds, as well as incision for Mimosa caesalpiniifolia seeds. However, they are inefficient for Dimorphandra mollis and Enterolobium maximum because of the increase in the percentage of infected seedlings, and to Stryphnodendron adstringens, for dead seeds. The high percentage of damaged seedlings of Erythrina velutina and E. speciosa cannot be attributed solely to treatment, because without pretreatment the root system gets strapped, forming a loop. The preheat treatment is inefficient because it results in a high percentage of hard seeds remaining.