Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:33:52.709Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Desiccation sensitivity of recalcitrant seeds—a study on tropical fruit species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

M. N. Normah ,
Saraswathy D. Ramiya  and
Mainah Gintangga
M. N. Normah*
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Saraswathy D. Ramiya
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Mainah Gintangga
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
*
*Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.), rambai (Baccaurea motleyana Muell.- Arg.) and jelentik (Baccaurea polyneura Hook. f.) are tropical fruit species believed to have recalcitrant seeds. The seeds showed no dormancy; they germinated easily. At harvest, the mean moisture contents (fresh weight basis) were 53.54, 51.20 and 44.90% for G. mangostana, B. motleyana and B. polyneura, respectively. G. mangostana seeds lost viability when their moisture content fell to about 24% while B. motleyana seeds lost viability below 35.5% moisture content. However, for B. polyneura, the seeds could be dried to low moisture content with high survival. The viability was still high when the moisture content was reduced to 13.46%. At this moisture content, the percentage germination was 91.76% and it was found that the seeds survived cyopreservation with 8.3% viability. For B. motleyana axes, the loss of viability occurred when their moisture content fell to about 36% (15% viability with predominantly callus formation) while for B. polyneura axes, viability was reduced to 33-67% when the moisture was 27–30%. At various moisture contents, the seeds of the fruit species studied were exposed for 48 h to 7°C and −4°C. G. mangostana seeds did not survive either temperature. Baccaurea seeds survived 7°C but failed to survive −4°C. No axes from B. motleyana seeds at various moisture contents survived cryopreservation. However, some viability (20–30%) was observed in B. polyneura axes cryopreserved at a moisture content of about 27%. At this moisture content no normal growth was obtained; callus formation was observed. It appears that the seeds vary in the degree of desiccation sensitivity. They also vary in size. Seeds of G. mangostana are larger than Baccaurea seeds and thus, more sensitive to desiccation. Seed and embryonic axis structure may also play a role in desiccation sensitivity.

Keywords

desiccation sensitivityrecalcitrant seedstropical fruits
Type
Recalcitrant seeds
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , June 1997 , pp. 179 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bajaj, Y.P.S. (1991) Storage and cryopreservation of in vitro cultures. pp 361–381in Bajaj, Y.P.S. (Ed.) Biotechnology in agriculture and forestry 17 (high technology and micropropagation I). Berlin, Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Berjak, P. and Dumet, D. (1996) Cryopreservation of seeds and isolated embryonic axes of neem (Azadiracta indica). Cryo-Letters 17, 99–104.Google Scholar
Berjak, P. and Pammenter, N.W. (1994) Recalcitrance is not an all-or-nothing situation. Seed Science Research 4, 263–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berjak, P., Mycock, D.J., Wesley-Smith, J., Dumet, D. and Watt, M.P. (1996) Strategies for in vitro conservation of hydrated germplasm. pp 19–52in Normah, M.N., Narimah, M.K. and Clyde, M.M. (Eds) In vitro conservation of plant genetic resources. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Plant Biotechnology Laboratory.Google Scholar
Chin, H.F. (1988) Recalcitrant seeds, a status report. Rome, IBPGR.Google Scholar
Chin, H.F. and Roberts, E.H. (1980) Recalcitrant crop seeds. Kuala Lumpur, Tropical Press.Google Scholar
Chin, H.F., Hor, Y.L. and Mohd. Lassim, M.B. (1984) Identification of recalcitrant seeds. Seed Science and Technology 12, 429–436.Google Scholar
Ellis, R.H., Hong, T.D. and Roberts, E.H. (1990) An intermediate category of seed behaviour? 1. Coffee. Journal of Experimental Botany 41, 1167–1174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrant, J.M., Pammenter, N.W. and Berjak, P. (1988) Recalcitrance—a current assessment. Seed Science and Technology 16, 155–166.Google Scholar
Fu, J.R., Wang, B.Z., Qiao, X.P. and Huang, X.L. (1990) Physiological studies on desiccation, wet storage and cryopreservation of recalcitrant seed of three fruit species and their excised embryonic axes. Seed Science and Technology 18, 743–754.Google Scholar
Grout, B.W.W., Sheldon, K. and Pritchard, H.W. (1983) Orthodox behaviour of oil palm seed and cryopreservation of the excised embryo for genetic conservation. Annals of Botany 52, 381–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hor, Y.L., Chin, H.F. and Karim, Mohamed Zain (1984) The effect of seed moisture and storage temperature on the storability of cocoa (Theobroma cocao) seeds. Seed Science and Technology 12, 415–420.Google Scholar
ISTA (1993) International rules for seed testing. Seed Science and Technology 21, Supplement.Google Scholar
Lim, A.L. (1984) The embryology of Garcinia mangostana L. (Clusiaceae). Garden's Bulletin, Singapore 37, 93–103.Google Scholar
Murashige, T. and Skoog, F. (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15, 473–497.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Normah, M.N. and Vangadasalam, M. (1992) Effects of moisture content on cryopreservation of Coffea and Vigna seeds and embryos. Cryo-Letters 13, 199–208.Google Scholar
Normah, M.N., Chin, H.F. and Hor, Y.L. (1986) Desiccation and cryopreservation of embryonic axes of Hevea brasiliensis Muell.-Arg. Pertanika 9, 299–303.Google Scholar
Normah, M.N., Jamilah, M.S. and Siti Dewi Serimala, M.N. (1996) Viability studies on seeds and embryonic axes of Lansium domesticum Corr. Malaysian Applied Biology 25(2), 39–43.Google Scholar
Sasaki, S. (1976) The physiology, storage and germination of timber seeds. pp 11–15in Chin, H.F., Enoch, I.C. and Raja Harun, R.M. (Eds) Seed technology in the tropics. Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia.Google Scholar