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Onset of germinability, desiccation tolerance and hardseededness in developing seeds of Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC) K. Heyne (Caesalpinioideae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

T. Mai-Hong
Affiliation:
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
T.D. Hong
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, The University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 237, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
N.T. Hien
Affiliation:
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
R.H. Ellis*
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, The University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 237, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
*
*Correspondence: Fax: + 44 118 3788297, Email: [email protected]

Abstract

In the hot and dry conditions in which seeds of the tree legume Peltophorum pterocarpum develop and mature in Vietnam, seed moisture content declined rapidly on the mother plant from 87% at 42 d after flowering (DAF) to 15% at 70 DAF. Dry weight of the pods attained a maximum value at about 42 DAF, but seed mass maturity (i.e. the end of the seed-filling phase) occurred at about 62 DAF, at which time seed moisture content was about 45–48%. The onset of the ability of freshly collected seeds to germinate (in 63-d tests at 28–34°C) occurred at 42 DAF, i.e. about 20 d before mass maturity. Full germination (98%) was attained at 70 DAF, i.e. at about 8 d after mass maturity. Thereafter, germination of fresh seeds declined, due to the imposition of a hard seed coat. Tolerance of desiccation to 10% moisture content was first detected at 56 DAF and was complete within the seed population by 84 DAF, i.e. about 22 d after mass maturity. Hardseededness began to be induced when seeds were dried to about 15% moisture content and below, with a negative logarithmic relation between hardseededness and moisture content below this value.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

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