The occurrence of the xenia phenomenon, considered the result of the crossing that is manifested in the first generation of the mother plant, has been known for many years. However, little is known regarding the contribution of the effect of the pollen to papaya seed performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of pollen on the physical and physiological characteristics of papaya seeds. The seeds used in the study were produced from hand pollinated fruits of the groups Solo and Formosa, corresponding to the following treatments: T1 - selfed Solo; T2 - selfed Formosa; T3 - Solo x Formosa; T4 - Formosa x Solo; T5 - Fruits proceeding from selfed T3; T6 - Fruits proceeding from selfed T4. The following determinations and tests were carried out: fruit weight, number of seeds per fruit, seed size, weight of a thousand seeds, seed germination, first count, accelerated aging, radicle and hypocotyl lengths, and cold test. A randomized complete block design was used with four replications and the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. No effects of the origin of the pollen were verified on the seed physical characteristics. The effect of xenia on the seed physiological quality could not be assessed because a premature manifestation of heterosis was observed.
Carica papaya L.; physiological quality; xenia
