Viability and Vigor of Pitomba Seeds (Talisia esculenta (St. Hil) Radlk) in two Stages of Maturation in the Different Substrates

Abstract

The socio-economic importance of pitomba fruits in the North and Northeast regions is a concrete fact, however, the commercialized fruits are still acquired from extractivism and  cultivation in backyards without any use of technology aimed at their production. The experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Tocantins in the city of Gurupi - TO, between February 14 and June 2, 2019. The treatments applied to the seeds consisted of two stages of fruit maturation, which were classified as:  ripe fruits collected in the plant with light brown peel color and ripe fruits collected on the ground with dark brown peel coloration. The substrates used were: Black Soil; Washed Sand; Commercial Substrate; Black Soil + Washed Sand + Humus; Sawdust Powder + Washed Sand + Commercial Substrate. The highest physiological quality was obtained from the seeds taken from the  ripe fruits harvested in the plant, where the highest values, ripe fruits harvested in the plant and ripe fruits harvested from the ground, were obtained when the seeds were sowed in the substrates Sawdust Powder + Washed Sand + Commercial Substrate (92%; 70%), (97%; 73%)  and Washed Sand substrate (84%; 67%), (90%; 65%) respectively, and lower on the substrate Black Soil (54%; 50%) and (60%; 60%), respectively. The pitomba seeds, removed from the ripe fruits harvested in the plant, sowing on the substrates: Sawdust  Powder + Washed Sand + Commercial Substrate and Washed Sand, showed greater vigor and viability.