Germination of cubiu seeds (<i>Solanum sessiliflorum</i> Dunal)

Abstract

Water and temperature must be adjusted to allow all the metabolic activities involved in the germination process. The Brazilian Rules for Seeds Analysis (RAS) do not indicate the temperature and the water volume for cubiu seeds germination. The objective of this research was to analyze the performance of cubiu seeds under different levels of humidity of the substratum and air temperature. The research was carried out in the Laboratory of Seeds of the Department of Agriculture of the Federal University of Viçosa. The cubiu seeds were sown in gerbox boxes lined with paper towel, humidified with 6 different water doses (1=1.5; 2=2.0; 3=2.5; 4=3.0; 5=3.5 and 6=4.0 times the weight of the dry substratum). For each treatment, four replications of 50  seeds were used, kept in germination chambers at temperatures of 20, 30 and 35 ºC, without posterior water addition in the substratum. The evaluations were made 10 and 21 days after the test was installed. The final germination, first germination counting, germination speed index and dry matter of cubiu seedlings were evaluated. The best results were obtained in the treatment of 3 times the weight of the dry substratum and in the temperature of 35 ºC.