Abstract

ORANTES-GARCIA, Carolina; PEREZ-FARRERA, Miguel Ángel; RIOJA-PARADELA, Tamara Mila  and  GARRIDO- RAMIREZ, Eduardo Raymundo. Seed viability and germination of three native species from the rainforest, Chiapas, México. Polibotánica [online]. 2013, n.36, pp.117-127. ISSN 1405-2768.

Percentage of viable seeds, loss of viability due to storage periods, and seed treatment to promote germination were determined in seeds of Cordia alliodora, Terminalia amazonia and Bursera bipinnata, native trees of the rainforest from Chiapas, Mexico. Results showed that recently collected seeds presented more than 90% of viability and it was reduced to 15% in B. bipinnata, 34% in C. alliodora and 18% in T. amazonia after 12 months of storage. Significant differences among treatments (p<0.0001) were observed for accumulated germination. Seeds of the three species showed accelerated germination rate after gibberelic acid and scarification treatments. Up to 90% of final germination were obtained when pregerminative treatments were applied and these treatments favors germination. Without treatment the germination percentage diminished (B. bipinnata 63%, C. alliodora 62% and T. amazonia 54%). In conclusion, for obtaining a higher germination percentage in less time, it is necessary to treat the seeds of these species previous to planting. Aging of seeds caused a decline in viability.

Keywords : Cordia alliodora; Terminalia amazonia; Bursera bipinnata; pregermination treatments; propagation.

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