TITLE:
Quality of Jatropha curcas L. Seeds Harvested at Different Stages of Fruit Maturation
AUTHORS:
Cristiane de Oliveira Veronesi, Cristiano Marcio Alves de Souza, Ademar Pereira Serra, Leidy Zulys Leyva Rafull, Cesar José da Silva, Vinicius de Vito Ros, Vanessa do Amaral Conrad
KEYWORDS:
Vigor, Harvester, Electrical Conductivity, Germination
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.18,
August
26,
2014
ABSTRACT: The aim of this
study was to evaluate the physiological quality of Jatropha curcas L. seeds
harvested at different stages of fruit maturation and two threshing methods. To
analyze the mechanical damage rate an experiment was carried out with five
stages of fruit maturation (green, yellow, ripe, dried on the ground and dried
on the plant) threshed mechanically and manually. To evaluate the physiological
quality, three tests were made; germination, vigor and electrical conductivity,
all of them were applied in each storage (0, 120 and 240 days after harvest)
and five stages of fruit maturation. It was feasible to infer that the
maturation stage of yellow, ripe and dried on the plant fruits showed the best
results of the physiological quality of the Jatropha
curcas L. seeds. The manual threshing is also recommended in order to
preserve the physiological quality of Jatropha
curcas L. seeds. When the fruits were harvested at the appropriate stage of
maturation (yellow, ripe and dry fruit on the plant) and threshing without
mechanical damage, the Jatropha curcas L.
seeds are possible to store for 240 days without loss in their germination.
Regardless of the threshing system and the maturation stage, the seeds of Jatropha curcas L. lost their vigor from
120 days after harvested, when these seeds were stored in the shadow and in an
environment without control on the relative humidity and air temperature.