Imbibitions, energy test and accelerated ageing in primed and non-primed seeds ofPeltophorum dubium

Peltophorum dubium seeds were set to imbibe with four treatments, soaked with solution Captan 0.2% under 10 and 27°C, PEG 6000-1.0 MPa under 10 and 27°C. For each treatment there were four replicates with 40 seeds incubated in 9-cm Petri dishes with double filter paper moistened with testing solution. The imbibition curves showed that the final weight increase were from 70% to 150% in the treatments when inbibition entered a lag phase. Seeds were tested for effects on germination of five treatments: control group (nonprimed), primed with PEG6000-1.0 MPa at 10 and 27°C, primed with Captan 0.2% at 10 and 27°C. For each treatment, there were three sub-treatments: seeds were soaked in distilled water for 12,24 and 36h before the energy test. Germination percentages of nonprimed seeds and primed in PEG 27°C soaked in distilled water during 12 h were the highest, reaching 100%. The lowest germination percentage occurred primed seeds with PEG6000 27°C and soaked in distilled water during 36 h, which was only 52%. Germination mean time of primed seeds in PEG at 10°C, soaked 24 h was 1.08 days, mean time of primed seeds in PEG at 27°C soaked 12 h was 2.42 days. Accelerated ageing results showed low or no germination after ageing 72 h. Control group had a higher germination percentage and seeds were more resistant to deterioration than those in primed groups, both in Petri dish (27°C) and vermiculate (room temperature).