Investigation on the effect of rest of fruits on seed quality has shown a direct relationship between rest and increase in the seed germination and vigor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the degree of maturation and fruit rest on the physiological quality of passion fruit seeds. The fruits were obtained by hand pollination, and the fruits were harvested at three maturation stages: 55, 65 and 75 days after anthesis and stored at 25 and 8 ºC for 7, 14 and 21 days of rest. To evaluate the seed quality, the following characteristics were assessed: mixture content, seed dry matter, germination and vigor. Seeds from 65-day-old fruits and submitted to rest for 7 days, kept in a cooled environment and at room temperature showed better physiological quality; 65-day-old fruits harvested at anthesis and stored fo seven days at 8ºC and 25ºC presented also the largest accumulation of dry matter.
Passiflora; seeds; germination; vigor
