Seed harvest moment of <i>Albizia hasslerii</i> (Chod.) Burkart seeds according to fruit color

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the color of Albizia hasslerii fruit that corresponds to seeds with high physiological potential. Fruits were harvested at different ripening stages for the analysis and were visually classified into four stages according to epicarp color: 100% green (stage 1), ≤ 50% brown (stage 2), between 50% and 99.9% brown (stage 3) and 100% brown (stage 4). Subsequently, we quantified seed biometric attributes and proceeded to install the germination and vigor tests. To verify the relationship between fruit maturation with seed biometrics and the physiological potential, we calculated the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ). The design was a completely randomized, and the results were submitted to analysis of variance with means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. The seeds from the fruits classified as stages 3 and 4 showed greater germination and emergence, lower averages of water content and higher dry biomass, being those indicators of the best time for the fruit harvest. The seeds from green fruits presented low germination and vigor, high water content and lower dry biomass. It was concluded that seeds with high physiological potential are from fruits with 100% brown color. However, fruits showing 50% brown color can already be harvested. Therefore, fruit color is considered an indicator of physiological maturity for Albizia hassleri