Biometrics of Mulungu Seeds From Different Mother Plants in the Semi-Arid Region of Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

Erythrina velutina Willd. (Fabaceae) is drought tolerant and has the potential for reforestation in the semi-arid region. The response of its seeds to the environmental conditions of each production area influences their size, weight, physiological potential, and health. Thus, this study aimed to assess how the environmental conditions of the different regions of Paraíba influence the biometric characteristics of E. velutina seeds. Seeds from 19 mother plants collected in Juru, Sumé, Araçagi, Guarabira, São João do Cariri, Esperança, Queimadas, Cuité, Boa Vista, and Areia, in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, were used in this study. Water content, thousand-seed weight, and biometric characteristics (length, width, and thickness) were determined in the seeds from each location. The water content ranged from 3.11 to 6.84%, while the thousand-seed weight was higher in mother plants grown in Sumé and Cuité. Seed length ranged from 9.00 to 16.84 mm, being higher in mother plants grown in Juru. Seed thickness and width ranged from 5 to 12.99 mm and were larger in mother plants from Cuité. Temperature, humidity, solar radiation, wind, and precipitation caused variations in the length, width, and thickness of E. velutina seeds, with higher means observed in mother plants grown in Cuité.

Morfometria de sementes de Lachesiodendron viridiflorum (Fabaceae)

“…Os dados foram analisados por meio de delineamento inteiramente ao acaso. Essas variações no peso e na quantidade de sementes por quilograma podem ser atribuídas a diversos fatores, incluindo as condições ambientais durante o processo de formação e desenvolvimento das sementes (Baskin & Baskin, 2014), variações na alocação de fotoassimilados pela planta para as sementes (Freitas et al, 2014) e o teor de umidade, que pode tornar as sementes mais leves ou mais pesadas (Souza et al, 2022). Além disso, o peso de mil sementes pode estar relacionado com as dimensões, maturidade e integridade das sementes (Brasil, 2009).…”

“…Além disso, observa-se correlações significativas entre os parâmetros biométricos e a qualidade fisiológica das sementes (Biruel et al, 2010). No entanto, os parâmetros biométricos das sementes podem variar substancialmente em função de fatores genéticos e condições ambientais (Freire et al, 2015;Bezerra et al, 2022).…”

Biometry and storage of Triangle Palm seeds

“…The batch underwent a pre-selection process, in which seeds with significantly reduced size, deformed, or damaged were discarded, aiming at lot standardization (Neves et al, 2019). The number of samples was determined as indicated in the literature in research related to the biometry of fruits and seeds of different plant species (Santos-Moura et al, 2019;Bezerra et al, 2022;Souza et al, 2022).…”

“…Diameter Thickness The variations found in the biometric characteristics of Dypsis decaryi diaspores are justified by the fact that they occur between individuals of this species and may be the result of genetic variability promoted by the action of environmental factors, since each species presents diversity due to its ecological plasticity, evidenced by the presence of these individuals in different regions (Santos-Moura et al, 2019;Souza et al, 2022). Furthermore, morphological patterns defined during seed maturation may vary, since the mother plant will generate seeds of different sizes depending on the resources available for their development (Bezerra et al, 2022), as observed for Mauritia flexuosa palm (Serpa et al, 2022).…”