Polyamine, amino acid, and carbohydrate profiles during seed storage of threatened woody species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest may be associated with seed viability maintenance

Abstract

Due to the economic importance of wood production, species including Cedrela fissilis Vell. and Cariniana legalis (Mart.) Kuntze have been heavily exploited and are currently threatened with extinction. In addition, these species produce seeds with low viability when stored for long periods. In this work, the effect of storage time on seedling emergence and alterations in the levels of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, polyamines (PAs), and amino acids were analyzed in C. fissilis and C. legalis seeds. Seedling emergence and the emergence speed index were significantly reduced during seed storage in both species, with a greater reduction for C. legalis seeds. Sucrose was detected in both species, with the highest levels in C. fissilis seeds, whereas the monosaccharides glucose and fructose were detected only in C. legalis seeds. Higher levels of putrescine (Put) were observed in C. legalis seeds than in C. fissilis seeds. In contrast, C. fissilis seeds showed a significant increase in most of the amino acids analyzed. These results suggest that the presence of glucose and fructose, the higher level of Put, and the lower levels of amino acids observed in C. legalis seeds may be associated with greater reductions in vigor and seedling emergence compared with C. fissilis seeds. This is the first report showing these relationships among carbohydrates, PAs, and amino acids in these species and may be useful for further studies on seed conservation of timber species.

Storage time affects the germination and proteomic profile of seeds of Cariniana legalis (Mart.) O. Kuntze (Lecythidaceae), an endangered tree species native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…Reduced dispersal of pollen and seeds due to habitat fragmentation is associated with the decline of C. legalis populations (Leal et al 2014). In addition, seeds from this species undergo significant losses in viability during 1 year of storage (Sousa et al 2016).…”

“…In C. legalis, the effect of seed storage time on seedling emergence and alterations in the levels of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, polyamines, and amino acids was previously analyzed (Sousa et al 2016). The results suggested that the presence of glucose and fructose, a higher level of the polyamine putrescine, and lower levels of amino acids may be associated with greater reductions in vigor and seedling emergence in this species (Sousa et al 2016).…”

Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization on Quality and Germination Potential of Smooth Bromegrass Seed

“…Seed quality is vital to agricultural systems, with early seedling growth and establishment especially dependent on seed reserves, before photosynthetic capacity is developed. Seed size, weight, protein, carbohydrates, oil and mineral contents are closely linked with seed quality (Marco and De, 1990;Smart and Moser, 1999;Snider et al, 2016;Sousa et al, 2016). Although seed quality is affected by many factors, fertilizer management is especially important.…”

Germinación y crecimiento de especies nativas potenciales para reforestación en el estado de Tabasco, México

“…En este experimento, T. rosea alcanzó un AB de 2.12 m 2 ha -1 en 23 meses, valor similar al registrado en sistemas silvopastoriles de Honduras (de Sousa et al 2016); ellos calcularon un AB (a ras de suelo) de 2.59 m 2 ha -1 para la misma especie en dos años. De igual forma, Salisbury y Potvin (2015) determinaron un AB (diámetro normal) de 2.47 m 2 ha -1 , después de 10 años de evaluación en una plantación con otras siete especies tropicales en Panamá.…”

“…Las pruebas de germinación, así como la observación del desarrollo y la cuantificación del crecimiento de plantas en vivero son el preámbulo de cualquier proceso de producción , reiterando que es necesario que una especie arbórea tenga una germinación homogénea y altas tasas de germinación (Azad et al 2010). El mantenimiento del vigor germinativo con respecto al tiempo, es también un factor determinante (Sousa et al 2016), sobre todo porque algunas plantas fructifican en una sola estación del año y esto restringe la disponibilidad de semillas.…”