ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF Piptadenia gonoacantha SEEDS (MART.) J. F. MACBR. USING IMAGE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The assessment of the quality of native forest species seeds is extremely important and, in this sense, it is necessary to integrate new technologies that can complement the quality analysis traditionally used. This study aimed to evaluate the physical and physiological quality of Piptadenia gonoacantha seeds using image analysis techniques and to relate aspects of tissue integrity with physiological attributes. Seeds from 10 lots were collected and submitted to automatic and visual analyses of radiographic images, with the determination of parameters related to tissue density and seed filling. After the X-ray test, the seeds were subjected to physiological analyses of germination and vigor. It was observed that the lots that presented higher values of tissue density, filling, and solidity, presented higher germination and vigor. It was also evident that the damage present in the seeds was causally related their physiological condition. Therefore, the results showed that the use of the X-ray technique in seeds combined with the automated analysis of the radiographs is efficient in the evaluation of the internal morphology of P. gonoacantha seeds. The physical integrity of the seed tissues is directly related to the physiological quality and allows the classification of different lots as to vigor. Visual analysis of digital radiographs is adequate to identify malformation in P. gonoacantha seeds.

Selection of Superior Senna macranthera Seeds, Carbon Stock, and Seedling Survival, and Costs for Habitat Restoration

“…Integrated density is calculated considering the gray values of each image pixel, differing from relative density calculations that consider seed area [13]. Recently, seed research has reported the potential of both parameters to evaluate seed lots for different species [11,[14][15][16]. However, although the results of physical parameters generated by X-ray analysis are effective in differentiating seed lots, they must be compared to physiological tests in order to accurately infer their potential relationship with seed physiological quality [13].…”

“…The relationship between physical attributes from X-ray testing and physiological quality has been reported in seeds of several forest species. For example, prior research [16] demonstrated that the X-ray technique was efficient in assessing the physical integrity of seed tissues and relating this to the physiological quality of Piptadenia gonoacantha seeds. This research was similar to this study, where seeds with lower tissue density had a higher proportion of internal physical damage and lower physiological quality.…”

“…This software can measure morphometric traits (area, perimeter, circularity, and others) and radiographic-image pixel density, using variables such as relative and integrated densities. Recent studies have shown that such parameters can be used to make inferences about seed internal-tissue density related to seed physiological quality for different species, such as Leucaena leucocephala [11] and Piptadenia gonoacantha [16].…”