Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R. Br. is part of the Lamiaceae family and is commonly known as coleus, due to the genus denomination in the past. This ornamental plant species has been gaining importance in the floristic industry due to the great number of exotic cultivars available in the market. Coleus commercial exploitation by seeds is held up by genetic instability, which makes it usually being propagated through semi-hardwood stem cuttings and leaves have great importance in stem cuttings adventitious rooting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence or absence of apical leaves and the use of indolebutyric acid (IBA) in coleus stem cuttings rooting. Semi-hardwood coleus stem cuttings with 6 cm long were prepared with or without apical leaves, and then treated with hydroalcoholic solutions (50% v v-1) of 0, 1000 and 2,000 mg L-1 IBA. The propagules were planted in tubes containing vermiculite and kept for 30 days in a greenhouse under intermittent misting (24 ± 2 °C, Relative Humidity 90%) until final evaluation. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, in a 3x2 factorial scheme (3 IBA concentrations x presence and absence of apical leaves). The rooting was evaluated after 30 days. Stem cuttings with and without apical leaves has 100 and 57% rooting, respectively. Stem cuttings rooting did not vary according to IBA concentrations. Roots length and number were higher in stem cuttings with apical leaves in comparison to leafless ones, regardless IBA concentrations. On average, 97.7% sprouting was observed in cuttings with apical leaves, significantly higher rates when compared to the average of 2.2% on leafless cuttings. The presence of apical leaves is fundamental for coleus stem cuttings rooting and the use of IBA is not required for this species propagation.

Passiflora actinia Hooker is a passion fruit species native to Brazil, typically found in the Atlantic and Araucaria Forests. It has economic relevance (edible fruit) and medicinal value (sedative and anxiolytic properties), in addition to being used for vegetative propagation, as rootstock for other Passiflora species. This study aimed at investigating the occurrence of dormancy in P. actinia seeds, and at evaluating their storage potential. The germination test considered different combinations of temperature and lighting regimes, whereas seed dormancy was assessed using different germination-inducing treatments (tegument cutting, warm water immersion, and gibberellin application). Seed viability during storage was also appraised. The results showed that seed germination should be conducted on paper at the alternating temperature of 20-30 °C, without lighting. Also, newly-harvested seeds presented physical and physiological dormancies. The immersion of seeds in water at 40 °C or 50 °C (for 5 or 10 minutes) proved to be efficient in breaking the physical dormancy. Physiological dormancy, in turn, was successfully interrupted by applying 100 mg. L-1 of gibberellic acid on the substrate paper. The storage of seeds under refrigeration, inside hermetically sealed polyethylene packaging, preserved their physiological quality for up to nine months.

Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (guanandi) is a native species with medicinal potential and also generates expectation for commercial use (wood) and for recovery of degraded areas. These seeds have physical and mechanical dormancy, requiring techniques for dormancy release; knowledge of seed and seedling morphology that assists laboratory analysis and propagation of the species is also necessary. The objective of this study was to describe the morphological structures of the seeds and normal and abnormal seedlings of guanandi, and also investigate if complete extraction of the endocarp and the seed coat to overcome dormancy will affect the morphology and initial plant development, and consequently production of transplants. Guanandi seeds are large (1000 seed weight of 1480.9 g) with a hard seed coat; cotyledons account for most of the embryo and serve as a reserve; the embryonic axis is small (1.0-2.0 mm) in relation to the seed, yet it is differentiated. The seedlings have hypogeal cryptocotylar germination, with cotyledonary petioles, taproot, and epicotyl developing into a long stem and a tip protected by cataphylls. The main abnormalities in seedlings are related to the root system. Extraction of the endocarp and seed coat does not alter the morphology of seedlings and promotes their greater development, which may be an advantageous strategy.

ResumoDeterminação do teor de água e do potencial de armazenamento de sementes de guanandi. O guanandi é uma espécie florestal nativa com particularidades que dificultam o armazenamento das sementes, pelo seu comportamento recalcitrante e por não haver protocolo específico e prático para determinação do teor de água da semente. O trabalho teve por objetivo testar procedimentos para determinação do teor de água e estudar diferentes condições de armazenamento das sementes de guanandi. Para a determinação do teor de água utilizou-se o método estufa a baixa temperatura 101 -105 °C, testando-se formas de preparo da semente (íntegras, cortadas ao meio e fragmentos menores que 7,0 mm) e diferentes períodos de secagem. Para o armazenamento das sementes testaram-se quatro ambientes (câmara úmida, câmara seca, refrigerador e ambiente de laboratório), com dois tipos de embalagens, durante quatro períodos (0, 1, 2, 3 e 4 meses). Para análise estatística, um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial, foi utilizado para teor de água; de parcelas subdivididas para armazenamento. Realizou-se análise de regressão para avaliação do potencial fisiológico e teor de água durante o armazenamento, com ajuste da equação significativa pelo teste de Tukey. Pelos resultados obtidos observou-se que o método da estufa a baixa temperatura 101 -105 °C / 17 h, utilizando-se sementes íntegras, deve ser utilizado para a determinação do teor de água das sementes de guanandi. A melhor combinação entre ambiente e embalagem para armazenamento das sementes foi condição de ambiente de laboratório (média entre 19,6 -23,1 °C e UR 53 -62%) em embalagem de polietileno. Palavras-chave: Calophyllum brasiliense, conservação, recalcitrante, método da estufa. AbstractGuanandi is a native forest species with particularities that make it difficult to store of seeds, because of its recalcitrant behavior and since a specific and practical protocol to determine the moisture content of its seeds is not available yet. This work had the purpose to test procedures to determine the moisture content and to study different environmental conditions of the storage of the guanandi seeds. In order to determine the moisture content, the low-temperature oven method at 101 -105°C was used, testing seed preparation methods (intact, cut in half and fragments smaller than 7.0 mm) and different drying periods. Four environments (wet chamber, dry chamber, cooler and laboratory environment) were tested for the storage of the seeds, with two packaging types, during four periods (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 months). For the statistical analysis, a completely randomized design, with a factorial arrangement, was used for moisture content; a split-split plot design was used for storage. A regression analysis was performed to evaluate the physiological potential and moisture content during the storage, adjusting the significant equation by Tukey's test. From the obtained results, it was observed that the low-temperature oven method 101 -105°C / 17 h, using intact seeds, should be used ...

Prior to commercialization, seeds of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) have to undergo the germination test, whose well-established methodology takes 120 days. Due to their recalcitrant behavior, the seeds have short longevity when stored (around 30-45 days), which makes it challenging to select the most viable ones for marketing. This study aimed to determine a methodology for the tetrazolium test to be carried out in peach palm seeds, in order to fast deliver results that can be correlated to the germination test. Different forms of pre-conditioning, preparation, and staining were investigated via moisture content, germination, and tetrazolium tests, so as to define the vital parts of the seed and sort out the viability classes. For the seed lot under study, the tetrazolium test delivered results supported by the germination test when the following procedures were adopted: pre-conditioning by water submersion (20 °C for 24 h), longitudinal cut adjacent to the embryo, and half-seed immersion (embryo + endosperm) in a 1.0% tetrazolium solution for 4 h at 30 °C. Having fulfilled these criteria, it became possible to separate the peach palm seeds into two classes (viable or non-viable).

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Brazil is the world's third largest beer consumer and currently imports all of its hops for the brewing industry. Such a fact justifies the selection of hop genotypes adapted for cultivation locally, which requires high quality seeds and efficient sex determination of the seedlings. The objectives of this study were to develop a methodology to assess hop seed quality and to efficiently determine hop seedling sex through the use of male-specific molecular markers. Freshly harvested hop seeds were germinated with and without pre-chilling (3-5 ° C) for 3, 6 and 12 weeks and then germinated at 20 or 25 ° C in the presence or absence of light, evaluating germination percentage and germination speed index. F1 progenies were obtained from after seed germination in a greenhouse and seedlings sex was determined using male-specific molecular markers. The best conditions for physiological quality assessment of hop seeds used in the present study were pre-chilling for 12 weeks, followed by germination at 25 ° C, and normal seedling counts at 7 and 15 days. The progeny submitted to molecular marker sexing was composed of 61.3% female plants. The established methodologies presented here can be considered efficient and may contribute to expedite hops breeding programs.

Baccharis dracunculifolia DC. is a pioneer plant native from Brazil that has great importance due to its secondary metabolites (essential oil and Brazilian green propolis) and its potential in the recovery of degraded areas. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the propagation techniques of B. dracunculifolia by sexual reproduction and asexual propagation of male and female stem cuttings. For reproduction, female individuals from a natural population were periodically monitored for their reproductive development and their diaspores were collected to evaluate the maximum dry mass accumulation to determine physiological maturity. The germination test was performed by testing four temperatures (20, 25, 30, and 20–30°C), in addition to the germination speed index (GSI) and first count. For vegetative propagation, stem cuttings (8 cm) of male and female individuals were treated with an indole butyric acid (IBA) solution at 0, 1,500, 3,000, 4,500, and 6,000 mg L−1. The cuttings were evaluated for mortality, survival, rooting, sprouting, leaf retention, callogenesis, number of roots, and average length of roots (cm) after 120 days. The physiological maturity of diaspores occurred at 40 days after anthesis, which was the best time for collection in the field. The temperatures of 25 or 20–30°C should be used in the germination tests of the species. The first count was identified four days after sowing and the last count after 11 days. The rooting of B. dracunculifolia cuttings is very low. Sex did not influence the evaluated parameters, but increasing IBA doses positively influenced rooting, number of roots, and average length of roots and negatively influenced calluses formation.