FRUIT BIOMETRY AND SEED STORAGE OF Cedrela fissilis Vell.

Abstract

The cedro-rosa (Cedrela fissilis) is a species in the Meliaceae family. Its wood is considered legal and is in danger of extinction. The objective of this work was the biometric characterization of fruits and storage effect on seed germination of Cedrela fissilis. 200 fruits were collected from 3 mother trees, forming a single seed lot. For fruit biometrics, length, width and circumference were measured using a digital caliper. For storage, the packages used were: kraft paper bags and 250 ml pet plastic bottle, then the seeds were stored in a natural laboratory environment (25 ± 2ºC) and refrigerator (10 ± 2ºC). At predetermined intervals (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 days) the germination percentage was evaluated. It was observed that the average mass of Cedar fruits was 18.6 g. The length, width and circumference of the fruits were respectively 5.37, 2.54 and 9.42 cm. Germination was better for storage from 0 to 30 days, obtaining values ??from 80 to 100%. Climatic conditions of matrix location influence biometric characterization of fruits. Storage time influences seed germination.