Open Access
ARTICLE
Effects of desiccation on Euterpe edulis Martius seeds
VÍCTOR PANZA1,2, VERÓNICA LÁINEZ2 , SARA MALDONADO1,2, HORACIO L. MARODER3
1. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos CIRN, INTA. Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n. B1712WAA, Hurlingham. Buenos Aires,
Argentina.
2. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de
Buenos Aires. Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
3. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas-Universidad Nacional de Luján. Ruta 7 y 5, (6700). Luján, Provincia de Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
Address correspondence to: Dr. Sara Maldonado. Departamento
de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Facultad de Ciencias
Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Pabellón 2,
Ciudad Universitaria. C1428EHA, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos
Aires, ARGENTINA. E-mail: saram@bg.fcen.uba.ar
BIOCELL 2007, 31(3), 383-390. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2007.31.383
Abstract
Information on desiccation sensitivity of
Euterpe edulis seeds under two drying rates is presented. The sensitivity was studied during the course of germination and normal germination. The water
content was evaluated for both seeds and embryos. Results showed the following:
(a) For both drying treatments and for both germination and normal germination, desiccation sensitivity values were higher for measurements based on the water content of the embryo than for those of the seed.
(b) For both drying treatments,
desiccation sensitivity were higher for normal germination than for germination based on both the embryo
and seed water contents.
(c) Under the slow drying treatment and for measurements based on the seed water
content, critical water content was visible for normal germination but not for germination;
(d) Critical water
contents for germination and normal germination were more clearly established in the fast drying treatment
than they were in the slow drying method based on both the embryo and seed water contents. Critical water
contents were not associated with changes in electrolyte leakage, which suggests that conductivity is not a
good indicator of physiological seed quality. From the beginning of both drying treatments, changes in nuclei
and vacuoles were observed, but, when seed water content was reduced to below critical values, the cells
became severely plasmolyzed, the vacuoles highly distorted, and the nuclei formed an almost homogeneous
mass with the chromatin and the nucleoplasm, which suggests irreversible DNA damages.
Keywords
Cite This Article
PANZA, V., LÁINEZ, V., MARODER, H. L. (2007). Effects of desiccation on
Euterpe edulis Martius seeds.
BIOCELL, 31(3), 383–390. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2007.31.383
Citations