The quince reproduction has fundamental importance to the purposes of the genetic improvement, mainly in the verification of the plants viability, obtained by seeds. The present work has as objective to verify the reproduction capacity and development of quince cultivars. Mature fruits of eight quinces cultivates were collected ('Sugar', 'Champion', 'Cheldow', 'Manning', 'Mato Dentro', 'Mendoza Inta-37', 'Portugal' and 'Smyrna'). The seeds were extracted, getting the average of the weight and of the number of seeds for fruit, washed in water and dried for 48 hours, placed in Petri dishes containing humidified cotton and stratification in refrigerating with 5ºC of temperature, the percentage of seeds germinated in five week collections after the 87th day were collected. The seeds germinated were transferred for nursery conditions with 50% of brightness After four months of the plantation, the first revenue evaluation was made, being later on the dumb ones transplanted for plastic recipients of 28 x 35 cm, containing soil previously treated. After three months the transplanted was evaluated and after eight months of that collection, the last evaluation was made, collected the height and the diameter, being calculated the standard deviation and the percentage of seedlings capable the accomplishment of the grafting. The medium number of seeds for fruit varied of 16.8 to 38.2, while the weight of 100 seeds varied between 3.6 and 4.2 g; 'Mato Dentro', 'Cheldow', 'Champion' and 'Portugal' quinces, presented higher percentages of seeds germination; 'Champion' quince presented higher seedlings revenue and number of viable plants the after the grafting.
Cydonia oblonga mill.; germination and seedling production
