VIABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF TETRAZOLIUM TEST IN STORED HYMENAEA COURBARIL SEEDS

Considering the socioeconomic importance of the genus Hymenaea sp., it is necessary to conduct studies on the loss of viability of Hymenaea courbaril seeds during storage, with a view to optimizing the use of the tetrazolium test. Therefore, with the limitations of the germination test and the effectiveness of the tetrazolium test in identifying and solving these problems, the present study aims to determine the viability and efficiency of the tetrazolium test in H. courbaril L. seeds freshly harvested and stored for 12 and 24 months and to relate the values obtained in the emergence test with those achieved in the tetrazolium test. Tetrazolium and seedling emergence tests prove that Hymenaea courbaril seeds lose viability when stored for 12 and 24 months packed in a raffia bag and stored in a laboratory environment at 22 °C and 56% relative humidity. Tetrazolium solution at 0.5% concentration for 24 hours at 26 °C is not indicated for Hymenaea courbaril seeds since there was no embryo staining. Hymenaea courbaril seeds without storage (freshly harvested) exhibit 90% seedling emergence. Tetrazolium test is efficient to determine the viability of Hymenaea courbaril seeds without storage.