Biochemical Tests for Quality Assessment of Jatropha mollissima (Pohl) Baill. (Euphorbiaceae)

Biochemical tests for electrical conductivity and tetrazolium can provide an assessment of seed lot quality within a few days or hours, and research related to rapid vigor and viability tests for Jatropha mollissima (Pohl) Baill. seeds are scarce in literature. Thus, the purpose of this study was to optimize the methodology of the tetrazolium test for seed evaluation to facilitate analysis, or reduce the time of its procedures, in addition to defining a standard for the electrical conductivity test for the species. In the tetrazolium test, two types of cut (without tegument and longitudinal cut), two temperatures (30 ºC and 40 ºC), and two staining times (4 h and 16 h) were tested. The electrical conductivity was carried out with two seed quantities (15 and 25), two water volumes (75 mL and 100 mL), and two temperatures (25 ºC and 30 ºC), in five evaluation periods (3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 hours). As results, the combination of longitudinal cut and tetrazolium staining at 40 °C for 16 h reduces preparation time and seed losses. Thus, it can be an alternative to the methodology in which there is the complete removal of the seed coat and staining at 40 °C for 4 h. In addition, the electrical conductivity test was not efficient to evaluate the vigor of J. mollissima seed lots using the proposed methodology.

Keywords:
Seed analysis; electrical conductivity; vigor; viability; forest seeds; quality seeds; tetrazolium test.

The alternative methodology for tetrazolium test is efficient for evaluation J. mollissima seeds.

The electrical conductivity test was not efficient to use among the tested methods.

The conduction of new evaluations to electrical conductivity test is necessary.