Physiological maturity of Crateva tapia seeds

ABSTRACT Species like Crateva tapia, valued for its ecological and nutritional importance, with discontinuous flowering and fruiting, make it challenging to anticipate the harvest time of fruits and determine the physiological maturity of seeds due to the variety of maturation stages on a single plant. Thus, the objective in this study was to determine the physiological maturity of C. tapia seeds. A completely randomized design was used, in a split plot scheme with four replicates. In the plots was evaluated the production cycles 2020-2021 (cycle I) and 2021-2022 (cycle II), and in the split plot was evaluated the maturation stages: 25, 40, 55, 70, 85, 100, 115, 130, 145, 160, and 175 days after anthesis. The evaluated characteristics included the physical (fruit and seeds) and physiological (seeds) traits throughout their development. As the fruits matured, their color changed from deep green to yellow, while the seeds transitioned from pink to dark brown. The seeds reached maximum germination capacity and vigor at 153 and 126 days in cycle I, respectively, and at 149 and 136 days after anthesis in cycle II, respectively. C. tapia seeds reach physiological maturity between 142 and 150 days after anthesis. Morphological aspects of the fruits, such as green coloration with small yellow traces, indicate the physiological maturation of the seeds. The development of C. tapia seeds involves morphological and physiological changes that affect their quality and germination capacity. Climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation) during seed formation influence the germination process and vigor.