Dalbergia nigra (Vell.) Allemao ex Benth. (Brazilian rosewood) is a highly economically valuable species because of its wood quality and ornamental potential, mainly due to its well formed canopy and the delicacy of its foliage. Unfortunately, these features contributed to list it as an endangered Brazilian species (IBAMA Regulation number 06/92). This work had as its objective to study the quality of Dalbergia nigra seeds submitted to increasing storage periods. Fruits from trees located at the Botanical Institute of Sao Paulo were collected in October 2003. After harvested, the fruits were sun dried and the seeds manually separated. The seeds were stored in closed transparent plastic bags under refrigeration (6º C ± 2). Monthly, during 690 days, 200 seeds were removed from the refrigerator. One hundred (100) seeds were used in germination tests, which consisted of four repetitions with 25 seeds each; and the other 100 were used in the determination of water content. The germination tests were conducted in a B.O.D. chamber at 25º C under a 12 hour photoperiod. The analyzed variables were; the germination percentage, germination velocity index, and dry mass of the seedlings. The results indicated that after 360 days of storage, the seeds showed germination percentage close to 50% and reduction of the germination velocity index to half, whereas the dry mass accumulation was the most compromised. The initial and final germination percentages were 87% and 36%, respectively. We concluded that Dalbergia nigra seeds present orthodox behavior and can be stored for a period of approximately two years in plastic bags at low temperature, compromising 50% of their germination capacity.
Forest seeds; jacarandá-da-bahia; seed conservation; germination rate index
