Accelerated aging test in Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. seeds

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the influence of accelerated aging test in the vigor of seeds of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret. After the measurement of the biometric characteristics of seeds, the treatment to overcome dormancy was applied, which consisted in the use of water at 100ºC for 4 minutes. The accelerated aging test was conducted in a completely randomized design, with four replications of 50 seeds in each treatment. The seeds were artificially aged at 40, 43 and 46 ºC during 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The degree of humidity (8.51 %) is characteristic of orthodox seeds, this value increased as the time of permanence of the seeds in aging treatments. The germination percentage  and the germination speed index showed significant reduction in seeds subjected to higher temperatures and times, although there is no significant increase in average time of germination. The frequency of germination was homogeneous in seeds that were subjected to 40 °C, the homogeneity decreases with increasing temperature and the period of artificial aging. The results suggest that Mimosa tenuiflora seed deterioration during accelerated ageing is closely related to a decrease in germination.

Key words: Germination, caatinga, Brazil, vigor, Mimosa tenuiflora.