Neutralização de sementes de capim Brachiaria escarificadas com ácido sulfúrico

Abstract

Brachiaria genus is native of African tropical savannahs. Important pasture species have been found in this genus as Brachiaria brizantha, B. ruziziensis and B. decumbens and recently the hybrid of Brachiaria cv. Mulato II. The principal form of propagation of this species are seeds and these frequently exhibited dormancy. The objective of these experiments was the evaluate the effect of neutralization of acid scarified seeds of B. brizantha cv. Marandu and Brachiaria cv. Mulato II stored during six months after scarification. Different times of exposition to sulfuric acid were used, followed by neutralization or not with calcium hydroxide after washing. Germination at 7 and 21 days was evaluated (G7 and GT). Dormant remaining Seeds (SRD) were evaluated by tetrazolium test in the seeds that did not germinate after 21 days. Acid scarification by a period ranging between 5 and 15 minutes was efficient to promote the germination of dormant seeds of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, with the best results at 10 minute time of scarification with washing in water alone. Storage for six months was also efficient to dormancy release. Non dormant seed of the hybrid cv. Mulato II exhibited an increase in germination after acid scarification. Neutralization, in this cultivar, was efficient to keep high germination even after six months of storage.