Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) is a palm species typical from Amazon region, widely used by local people for feeding. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of different conditions of temperature and substrate in the germination of seeds and to determine the seed storage behaviour of bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) seeds. Fruits were collected at Caseara, Tocantins, Brazil. The germination was carried out at different temperatures and substrates after cleaning. Seed viability was also determined after drying at different water content in order to determine the seed storage behavior. The best substrate for germination of bacaba seeds was in sand. It was not verified effect of temperature on the germination of the seeds, except when seeds were incubated at 35 °C, which germination was not observed. Although there is no effect on the most of the temperature tested on the final percentage of germination, seeds incubated at 30 °C and 25-35 °C showed higher speed of germination. Seeds of bacaba cannot be dried below 0,36 g H2O g-1 dry weight, and so they are classified as recalcitrant.
forest species; drying; recalcitrant; viability
