Tratamientos para romper latencia en semilla de dos especies de Atriplex bajo condiciones de laboratorio e invernadero

Abstract

The freshly harvested Atriplex seeds show a state of latency which is a disadvantage for its immediate usage, as well as for the evaluation of its quality. There exist several different methods for suppressing this condition. This assay was carried out with the aim of evaluating the effects of the application of both, physical and chemical treatments to suppress the latency, and to increase the germination in seeds of two species of halophyte of the Atriplex genera: A. nummularia (four wing saltbush) and A. canescens (blue green saltbush) under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The treatments were: scarification, water soaking for 48 h, water soaking at 60° C for 10 min, soaking in a solution of KNO3 at 0,2% for 10 min, and soaking in a H2SO4, 140 to µg ml-1, solution. An experimental completely randomized design, with four replications was used. The seeds were sowed in Petri boxes in laboratory, and polystyrene seedling trays in a greenhouse. The evaluated variables were: germination percentage, emergency speed index, plumule average length, and radicule average length. Results showed that in A. nummularia was obtained a high percentage of germination both, with the seed scarification in laboratory, as well as in the greenhouse; whereas for species A. canescens the germination percentage was very low, including scarification in both atmospheres. The temperature of laboratory atmospheres, like in the green house ones, interferes with the germination percentage, as well as with the emergency speed index, while the plumule and radicule average length were not affected by atmospheres in neither of the two studied species.