The objective of this research was to study the physiological performance of Cedrela fissilis Vellozo seeds during storage in relation to variations in seed moisture content and storage temperature. Mature fruits were hand harvested from selected trees and placed under shade to complete the drying process to allow easy seed extraction from the naturally opened fruits. The initial moisture content of the seed lot was determined and a sample was drawn to represent the highest moisture content to be studied (16,3 %). Following that, the remaining seeds were dried in a forced air dryer at 30º C to obtain the other desired moisture contents (12.4 %, 8.1 % and 4.5 %). The samples corresponding to the different levels of moisture were stored inside chambers set at 10 and 20º C. At the beginning and at 40, 120, 200, 280, and 360 days of storage, seeds were submitted to the following physiological evaluations: germination, emergence and hypocotyl length. A 4 x 2 factorial in a completely random design was used involving four treatments (moisture contents) at the beginning of storage, and eight treatments (4 moisture contents x 2 thermal conditions) at all other storage times. Mean comparison was made by the Tukey test at 5 %. Cedrela fissilis seed preservation, considering the 16.3 % to 4.5 % moisture content interval, is favored by moisture contents between 12.4 % and 4.5 %, at temperatures of 20 and 10º C.
wood species; storage condition; physiological quality
