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Water potential of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) placenta and seed germination in response to desiccation during fruit development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Albert T. Modi  and
Belinda J. White
Albert T. Modi*
Affiliation:
School of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
Belinda J. White
Affiliation:
Centre for Electron Microscopy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
*
*Correspondence Email: modiat@nu.ac.za
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Abstract

Cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds harvested from fruits at four stages of development [2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after flowering (WAF)] were washed (1% HCl) and germinated after 72 h of desiccation at 20°C, and 76%, 49% or 12% RH. Seed α-amylase activity was determined at each stage of development and correlated with seed germination. Desiccation at 76% and 49% RH had no significant effect on the germination of seeds at 4, 6 and 8 WAF, whereas it improved germination of seeds at 2 WAF. Low RH (12%) significantly reduced seed germination at all stages of development. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.68, P ≤ 0.05) between germination and α-amylase activity during seed development. Scanning electron microscopy also revealed a correlation between starch grain occurrence in the endosperm and α-amylase activity. Placenta water potential decreased with fruit and seed maturation, and correlated negatively with improved seed germination and α-amylase activity. Promotion of seed germination by desiccation in developing cherry tomato seeds was lost 4 weeks prior to mass maturity (80 ± 3% seed water content and –2.3 ± 0.1 MPa placenta water potential). It is proposed that the water potential differential between the placenta and the seeds influences α-amylase activity and germination behaviour during development.

Keywords

α-amylasecherry tomatodesiccationLycopersicon esculentumseed developmentwater potential
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , May 2004 , pp. 249 - 257
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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