Variación en vigor de semillas de Pinus cembroides recolectadas en rodales en los estados de Nuevo León y Veracruz, México

Abstract

Seeds of Pinus cembroides lose vigor and viability owing to the effects of high humidity and high temperature, which damage the cell membranes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the vigor of Pinus cembroides seeds using an aging test. Seeds were collected from the municipalities of Galeana, Nuevo León, and Jalacingo, Veracruz, Mexico. In the aging test, the seeds were exposed to temperatures of 19, 40, 42, and 45 °C for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. In the control, the seeds were not subjected to any treatment. In the germination test, the seeds were placed in a randomized block design with a factorial arrangement. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between provenances, temperatures, and periods for the percentage of germination and aging index. The percentage of germination varied between 0 % for seeds from Jalacingo exposed to 19 °C and 40 °C and 31 % for seeds in the control. The percentage of germination varied from 1 % to 84 % for Galeana seeds at 45 °C and the control, respectively. The aging index varied between 0 for seeds from both provenances in the control treatment and 1 for seeds from Jalacingo exposed to 19 °C and 40 °C. Deterioration of Pinus cembroides seeds might be due to damage to the cell membrane. The vigor of Pinus cembroides seeds was reduced because of high temperature and aging periods, which was reflected in low percentages of seed germination.