Jatropha curcas seed tolerance to desiccation and storage at low temperatures

Resumo

Jatropha seeds were classified according to tolerance to desiccation and storage, as a way to subsidize future propagation programs, as jatropha seed shows to be a promising oilseed for biodiesel production. The objective of this work was to study the physiological classification regarding the tolerance of physic nut seeds to desiccation and storage at low temperatures and to verify if their behavior was closer to that of seeds classified as orthodox, recalcitrant or intermediate. The seeds were harvested in the morning and sent to the Laboratory, being processed and submitted to drying, storage and emergency assessment. For seed quality analysis, the germination test and the emergence speed index were used, using a completely randomized design, with four treatments (no drying, 12% humidity, 5% humidity and 12% humidity a -20ºC for 90 days) and five repetitions. After physiological classification, it was found that seeds of physic nut are orthodox, thus can be stored at low temperature (-20ºC) and with low water content (<5%), without compromising their viability.