Zizyphus joazeiro Mart. trees have been declining in number in their natural habitat due to, among other reasons, the occurrence of dormancy of dispersal units (water impermeability). The effect of the immersion time (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 minutes) of Zizyphus joazeiro Mart. dispersal units in concentrated sulfuric acid (95-98 %) was evaluated through the emergency and vigor (first count, speed index and mean emergence time, plant height and dry matter weight). The experiment was performed under greenhouse conditions, with a completely randomized experimental design, six treatments and four replications. The pre-conditioning of Zizyphus joazeiro Mart. dispersal units with immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid was efficient for breaking the seed dormancy and also for increasing the emergence percentage and speed, the emergence first count, plant height and dry matter weight and reduction in the mean emergence time. The efficiency of this chemical treatment, with concentrated sulfuric acid, was shown to be dependent on the immersion time, being the most suitable to provide larger emergency percentages and vigor between 74 and 115 minutes.
seeds; germination; vigor; chemical scarification
