Moisture content and temperature of storage in peach palm seed conservation

Abstract

The peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) is an important alternative for heart-of-palm extraction, showing precocity, rusticity and high tillering. The seeds of this species are considered recalcitrant making storage for long periods and production of seedlings difficulty. This identified a combination of moisture content of peach palm seeds and temperature during storage for longer seed longevity. Seeds with 35% and 45% of moisture content (wet basis-wb) were storage at 20 °C and 25 ºC during 180 days. The evaluations were carried out every 60 days by the germination test, emergence in sand, shoot length, diameter of stem, shoot dry matter, root dry matter and moisture content. It was observed that seeds with moisture content of 45% wb showed better performance during storage. The storage at 20 ºC provides higher seed quality maintenance. Peach palm seeds maintain their viability for 120 days when stored with moisture content of 45% wb at 20 ºC.