Physiological and sanitary quality of seeds of Dimorphandra gardneriana Tul. treated with essential oils

Abstract

Dimorphandra gardneriana, popularly known as fava d’anta, is a medicinal species whose fruits and seeds are used in the manufacture of medicines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry) and copaíba (Copaifera sp.) essential oils in antifungal treatment of seeds of D. gardneriana and their influence on physiological quality of the seeds. Two experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design using seeds treated with different concentrations of copaiba and clove oils (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mL) and two controls—seeds were treated with distilled water or fungicide. The variables analyzed were: incidence of fungi in seeds in the first experiment and seed germination and vigor (first germination, length and dry mass of root and shoot of the seedlings) in the second one. The incidence of fungi of the genera Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Rhizopus sp. in the seeds was elevated. The copaiba oil at the concentrations used did not satisfactorily reduce the incidence of fungi in the seeds of D. gardneriana, while the treatment of the seeds with clove oil at concentrations of 2.0 and 0.5 mL reduced the incidence of Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus sp., respectively. Seed germination and vigor increased at concentrations of 2 mL of clove oil and 1.25 mL of copaiba oil.

Physiological potential and fungi control of Moringa oleifera Lamark seeds treated with essential oils

“…For the successful production of seedlings and plant establishment, it is essential to use high quality seeds, expressed by genetic, physical and physiological attributes that are responsible for originating plants with high vigour [10]. One of the factors that can affect the quality of the seedlings is the difficulty of obtaining pathogen-free seeds, once those are one of the main sources of the dissemination and transmission of several pathogens associated with diseases that directly impact plant establishment [11,12].…”

“…Seed-associated pathogens can cause different forms of harm, such as the loss of germinative power and a reduction in the vigour of the seedlings, including the possibility of pre-emergence and post-emergence death, root rot and infection of the sprout [11]. Studies carried out with Moringa oleifera found several fungal species to be seed transmitted, such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Alternaria sp, Fusarium sp, Penicillium sp and Phomopis sp.…”

“…The treatment of seeds is generally performed with synthetic fungicides. Despite the importance of these products, their continual and inadequate use causes harm to the environment as well as both human and animal health and the high cost of these substances leads to a considerable increase in production costs [11,15]. The use of alternative methods from natural sources, such as essential oils, constitutes a sustainable replacement for chemical products in the management of pathogens on seeds [16].…”

“…on cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) [14], clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry) and diesel tree oil (Copaifera langsdorffii Desf) on "fava d'anta" seeds (Dimorphandra gardneriana Tuslane) [11], and clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum L.) and diesel tree oil (Copaifera langsdorffii) on the "Sodom apple" tree seeds (Calotropis procera Ait. R.…”

“…Despite the effectiveness in controlling seed-associated pathogens, these essential oils can also exert a negative impact on germinative power and plant vigour [14]. However, oils can also preserve the physiological quality of the treated seeds [11]. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of different concentrations of the essential oils from citronella grass (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.)…”