Germination characteristics of seeds of Ananas ananassoides

• Published in: Acta scientiarum. Biological sciences Vol. 32; no. 2; p. 195
• Main Authors: Anastacio, Maristela Rosalia, de Santana, Denise Garcia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Maringa 01-04-2010
• ISSN: 1679-9283
• DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v32i2.1693

Ananas ananassoides is a perennial plant with ornamental potential because of flowers and bracts with exuberant colors and herbaceous development where the leaves have spiny margins that are distributed in rosettes. The objective of this experiment with six completely randomized treatments and four replicates of 25 seeds was to evaluate the effects of seed soaking into distilled water at environmental temperature (25 ± 1.5°C) for 24, 48, and 72h; seed soaking into water at 90°C for 2 minutes; seed soaking into sulfuric acid p.a. for 2 minutes followed by tap water washing for 24h, and the control. Thereafter, 4-month-old seeds were immersed into water at 90°C for 2 minutes and compared to the intact seeds (control). Initially, the highest percentage of germination (G=92%) was evaluated in newly collected seeds that were immersed in water at 90°C for 2 minutes. No increases in the percentage of seed germination were detected by seed soaking into water or sulfuric acid in comparison to the seeds that were immersed in water at 90°C for 2 minutes. However, the percentage of germination was higher than 96% when the seeds were stored for four months. No difference in the mean time to germination was detected between newly collected (between 21.0 and 26.8 days) and stored seeds (between 18.4 and 19.5 days). The germination of newly collected and stored seeds was slow and distributed throughout the experimental time. Key words: bromeliad, dormancy, ornamental species. Ananas ananassoides e uma planta perene com habito de crescimento herbaceo e que tem enorme potencial paisagistico porque apresenta flores e bracteas com coloracao exuberante e folhas com margens espinescentes que estao distribuidas em roseta. O objetivo deste experimento foi o de avaliar as caracteristicas germinativas e o efeito de tratamentos pre-germinativos nas sementes da especie. Primeiro, em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, foram investigados seis tratamentos em quatro repeticoes de 25 sementes. Os tratamentos constaram da imersao em agua destilada a temperatura ambiente (25 ± 1,5°C) durante 24, 48 e 72h, imersao em agua quente a 90°C durante 2 min. e imersao em acido sulfurico p.a. durante 2 min. e com posterior lavagem em agua corrente por 24h que foram comparados com um controle. Depois de quatro meses de armazenamento, sementes intactas (controle) foram comparadas com sementes imersas em agua a 90°C por 2 min. Assim, a maior porcentagem de germinacao (92%) foi obtida com sementes recem-colhidas e imersas em agua a 90oC durante 2 min., mas o armazenamento por quatro meses melhorou a porcentagem de germinacao (G ≥ 96,0%). Os tempos medios de germinacao nao diferiram entre as sementes recem-colhidas (de 21,0 a 26,8 dias) e as armazenadas (entre 18,4 e 19,5 dias). A germinacao das sementes recem-colhidas e armazenadas foi lenta e distribuida ao longo do tempo experimental. Palavras-chave: bromelia, dormencia, especie ornamental.