Overcoming dormancy and characterization of germination in Cerrado ‘algodãozinho’ seeds treated with dimethyl sulphoxide

Published Date

May 2014, Vol.92:89–93, doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2014.02.004

Title 

Overcoming dormancy and characterization of germination in Cerrado ‘algodãozinho’ seeds treated with dimethyl sulphoxide

• Author 

• Priscila Ferreira Batista 
• Alan Carlos Costa ^,
• Clarice Aparecida Megguer 
• Júlien da Silva Lima 
• Juliana de Fátima Sales 

• Instituto Federal Goiano - Câmpus Rio Verde, Brazil.

Received 18 September 2013. Revised 27 January 2014. Accepted 3 February 2014. Available online 18 March 2014. Edited by P Berjak

Highlights

• •
  Cochlospermum regium is a priority species for ex situ conservation in Brazil.
• •
  Seeds were scarified to overcome dormancy imposed by the seed coat.
• •
  Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was tested for improving membrane permeability.
• •
  The efficacy of DMSO was shown by the high percentage of germination.
• •
  The immersion of seeds in DMSO caused no visible abnormalities in the seedlings.

Abstract

The species Cochlospermum regium is a shrub that disseminates by seed, but with extremely low germination even under ideal conditions, that is a response to physical dormancy imposed by the seed coat. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in overcoming dormancy in Cerrado ‘algodãozinho’ seeds compared to other traditional methods, in combination with growth analysis to assess seedling normality. The seeds in experiment I were submitted to the following treatments: (1) control: soaking in distilled water for 24 h; (2) mechanical scarification: rubbing with sandpaper for 1 min and soaking in distilled water for 24 h; (3) acid scarification: immersion in sulphuric acid for 2 h followed by soaking in distilled water for 24 h; (4) immersion in DMSO at 65 °C for 24 h followed by soaking in distilled water for 24 h; and (5) soaking in distilled water for 24 h and immersion in sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 12% active chlorine, for 5 h. The volume of solution used in all treatments was sufficient to completely submerge the seeds. Initial seed moisture content, seed dry mass, germination percentage, and germination speed index (GSI) were measured. In experiment II, seeds were immersed in DMSO at 65 °C for 24 h followed by soaking in distilled water for 24 h or distilled water at 65 °C for 24 h and evaluated by the standard germination test and GSI. Shortly after germination, seeds from both treatments were transferred to trays containing sand as a substrate for subsequent seedling morphological and growth evaluation. Overall, the results show that mechanical scarification with sandpaper for 1 min and seed immersion in DMSO were the best treatments for overcoming dormancy in seeds of C. regium, and DMSO caused no morphological abnormality in the seedlings.

Keywords

• Bixaceae
• Cerrado ‘algodãozinho’
• Cochlospermum regium
• DMSO
• Dormancy breaking
• Seeds

---

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

 Table 1

Table 1.

 Table 2

Table 2.

Fig. 3.

• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author at: Rodovia Sul Goiana, km 01, Zona Rural, CEP 75.901-970, Caixa Postal 66, Goiás, Brazil. Tel.: + 55 64 3620 5617; fax: + 55 64 3620 5640.
  
  

For further details log on website :

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629914000325