Métodos de coleta de sementes e a taxa de germinação de umbu (Spondias tuberosa Arr. Câm.)

Abstract

The umbu tree, Spondias tuberosa Arruda Câmara, is a tree of great social, cultural and economic importance. However, its seeds have difficulty germinating due to their thick seed coat combined with their dormancy considered primary. The production of umbu seedlings has been suffering certain instabilities and threats due to the problems in guaranteeing the fruits, economically affecting farmers in the semiarid region. In order to find a way to obtain greater use of the seeds in a practical and accessible way for farmers, from an experimental approach different methods of collecting umbu seeds were investigated and compared, observing their influence on the rate and germination speed index (GSI), in order to highlight the most effective method to maximize germination. Using an experimental design with completely randomized distribution (CRD), 9,375 seeds were evaluated in five treatments and 3 replicates, each replicate composed of 625 seeds: T1 — Corral: seeds collected in the goat pen and passed through the G Tract; T2 — Pulper; T3 — Pulping and cooking; T4 — Manually pulped: seeds collected from the tree; T5 — Control: seeds collected under the mother plant, naturally ripened. The results indicated that T2 and T4 presented the highest germination rates, 69.01±4.26 and 43.7±5.18, respectively. Regarding GSI, T2 was the leader again, 161±21.8, followed by T4 and T5, 92.0±15.3 and 85.4±5.30, respectively. These findings reinforce the importance of identifying seed management methods that maximize germination and germination speed index, bringing benefits to local farmers and promoting umbu conservation, in addition to reinforcing environmental sustainability in the semiarid region.