ISHS Acta Horticulturae 811: VI International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal
EFFECT OF FRUIT MATURATION STAGE AND SUBSTRATE IN THE GERMINATION OF OPUNTIA DILLENII (CACTACEAE) SEEDS |
| Authors: | C. Firmino de Azevedo, R. de Lucena Alcântara Bruno, E. Pereira Gonçalves |
| Keywords: | medicinal Cactaceae, ripening, cactus pear, seedling, vigor |
| Abstract:
Opuntia dillenii is a xerophyte from the Cactaceae family and native to Brazil. It is an ornamental and alternative food source for the cattle in the dry northeast regions. In other countries it is considered medicinal because of the antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of its fruits. One of the aspects to obtain good quality seeds is the moment of the harvest, which can be determined by the fruit and/or seed developmental stage. This study analyzed the effect of fruit maturation stage and substrate in the germination of Opuntia dillenii seeds. This experiment was carried out in the UFPB - Sand Seed Analysis Laboratory to evaluate the role of the fruit maturation stage and substrate in the germination of the cactus pear seeds. The seeds from green, intermediary and mature fruits were germinated in paper, sand, vermiculite and paper rolls in a germinator at the alternating temperature of 20-30°C. Four repetitions of 25 seeds were used. Reduced germination was observed in green fruit derived seeds. The paper roll had high germination for the intermediary and mature fruit seeds; there didn't exist statistic difference with none of the substrates used. Fruit maturation stage did not have a significant effect on the germination velocity index or seedling dry mass and length. The fruits can be harvested at intermediary and mature stages and sown in sand or paper rolls. | |
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