In normal conditions, pitombeira seeds [Talisia esculenta (St. Hil) Radlk] quickly lose their physiological quality. This makes it difficult for cultivators to use them. Research on pitombeira seed desiccation is scarce. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of pitombeira seeds submitted to five drying periods (0, 24, 48, 96 e 120 hours). The experimental design was entirely randomized and the data was submitted to the variance analysis and polynomial regression. The treatment effect evaluation was accomplished by means of the determination of the water content, germination percentage and vigor tests (first count, speed index and average germination time, primary root and aerial leaves length and dry mass). The initial water content of 40% was increasingly reducing within drying time. Consequently, the largest germination percentages (99%) were observed within 53 hours of drying. In relation to the vigor, the largest first count values (78%) and aerial part length (11.29 cm) were obtained within 38 hours of drying. On the other hand, the shortest average germination time (17 days) and maximum primary root length (15.79 cm) occurred with 40 hours of drying. Concerning the germination velocity index (1.41), root dry mass (0.079) and aerial part (0.229), the maximum values were obtained when the seeds were submitted to drying 44, 33 and 50 hours, respectively. The results confirm that the recommended drying time for pitombeira seeds is up to 48 hours to guarantee germination and vigor.
propagation; germination; vigor; native fruit tree; fruticulture
