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Water sorption properties in Coffea spp. seeds and embryos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Mirian T.S. Eira ,
Christina Walters  and
Linda S. Caldas
Mirian T.S. Eira
Affiliation:
EMBRAPA Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, P. O. Box 02372, Brasília, DF, Brasil
Christina Walters*
Affiliation:
USDA-ARS, National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Linda S. Caldas
Affiliation:
Universidade de Brasília, Departamento de Botânica, Brasília, DF, Brasil
*
* Correspondence Tel: 970-495-3202 Fax: 970-221-1427 Email: chrisv@lamar.colostate.edu
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Abstract

The relationships among water content, relative humidity and temperature were documented in both seeds and excised embryos of Coffea spp. using water sorption isotherms. Isotherms were constructed at 5, 15 and 25°C and calculated for lower temperatures. There were no apparent differences in sorption characteristics among whole seeds of several cultivars of C. arabica and among different species of Coffea. Excised embryos of genetically diverse Coffea germplasm also exhibited similar sorption characteristics, though there were substantial differences observed between embryos and whole seeds. The shape of isotherms of coffee seed tissues was intermediate to the reverse sigmoidal shape observed for orthodox seeds and the monotonic shape observed for desiccation intolerant plant tissues. The heats of sorption calculated for RH ≤ 25% for whole seeds of Coffea spp. were similar to orthodox seeds. In contrast, the heats of sorption calculated in the same RH range for excised embryos were intermediate between those of orthodox and recalcitrant embryos. Our observations are consistent with earlier observations that desiccation sensitivity or poor longevity is linked with low levels of water sorption at relative humidities less than 25%. An explanation for this remains elusive.

Keywords

Coffeacoffeedesiccation toleranceembryoequilibriumgermplasmglassorthodoxrecalcitrantrelative humidityseedseed storagetemperaturewater contentwater sorption isotherms
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 9 , Issue 4 , April 1999 , pp. 321 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

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