Qualidade fisiológica de sementes de Ziziphus joazeiro Mart., Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit., Tamarindus indica L. e Spondias tuberosa Arruda após endozoocoria

Abstract

Among the methods of dispersion by animals, endozoocoria stands out as a process that occurs through the ingestion of fruits and the excretion of endocarps and/or seeds by the animals' feces. The experiment was carried out in the years 2018 and 2019 and aimed to evaluate the viability of overcoming dormancy in juazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro Mart.), leucena [Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit.], tamarindo (Tamarindus indica L.) and umbu (Spondias tuberosa Arruda) after transitory through the digestive tract of the ruminants: sheep (Ovis aries), goats (Capra aegagrus hicus), cattle (Bos taurus), and monogastric: donkeys (Equus asinos), pigs (Suis scrofa domesticus) and after that it was identified which of the studied forest species had the greater germination viability and which animal was the most effective disperser after ingestion and excretion of these seeds. The seeds obtained in the feces were analyzed for their physiological quality: water content, emergence and vigor (emergence speed index, length and dry matter of primary root and aerial part). The statistical design adopted was a fully randomized, the data was subjected to analysis of variance by the F test, and the means compared by the Tukey test, at 5% probability. It was concluded that the dormancy of the Z. joazeiro, L. leucocephala, T. indica and S. tuberosa seeds are overcome by the passage in the digestive tract of ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) and monogastric (donkeys and pigs), it was found that the percentage emergence of seedlings, obtained in the feces of animals comparing with untreated seeds, which Z. joazeiro, and L. leucocephala were similar to each other, and superior to S. tuberosa, been this one superior to T. indica. No advantages were found regarding the percentage of emerged seedlings and emergence speed indexes between ruminants and monogastrics, and all animals showed to be an efficient disperser for the studied plants.