GERMINAÇÃO DE PEQUI (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) EM DIFERENTES TRATAMENTOS TÉRMICOS.

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the germination of the seeds of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) after storage and submission to various thermal (temperatures of 30°C, 40°C and 50°C) and a period of immersion in warm water of five to ten minutes, besides personal observation. Seeds from twenty-five plants were selected by size (medium and large) and period of storage (90 and 120 days). All seeds were subjected to incisions for removing the pulp but preserving the thorns. The experiment was set up in a totally random delineation in factorial scheme of 3 X 2 X 2 + 2 ( three temperatures, two times, two storage periods, two sizes of seeds and two observations) with four repetitions of ten weeks each. After the treatments the seeds were planted in beds of sand evaluated throughout 270 days. Under the conditions of this experiment, considering all the treatments, the results show a 1 cm germination of the pequi and do not establish a significant difference between the treatments. More studies of the storage conditions of pequi are needed.