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AOBPreview published online on September 11, 2007
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcm211
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Mechanism and Control of Solanum lycocarpum Seed Germination

Lilian V. A. Pinto1, Edvaldo A. A. Da silva2, Antonio C. Davide2, Valquíria A. Mendes De Jesus2, Peter E. Toorop3 and Henk W. M. Hilhorst4,*

1 Escola Agrotécnica Federal de Inconfidentes – CEP 37·576-000 – Inconfidentes, MG, Brasil
2 Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Laboratório de Sementes Florestais, CP 3037 – 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brasil
3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Seed Conservation Department, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6TN, UK
4 Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands

* For correspondence. E-mail Henk.Hilhorst{at}wur.nl

Received: 25 May 2007    Returned for revision: 19 June 2007    Accepted: 10 July 2007   

Background and Aims: Solanaceae seed morphology and physiology have been widely studied but mainly in domesticated crops. The present study aimed to compare the seed morphology and the physiology of germination of Solanum lycocarpum, an important species native to the Brazilian Cerrado, with two species with endospermic seeds, tomato and coffee.

Methods: Morphological parameters of fruits and seeds were determined by microscopy. Germination was monitored for 40 d under different temperature regimes. Endosperm digestion and resistance, with endo-ß-mannanase activity and required force to puncture the endosperm cap as respective markers, were measured during germination in water and in abscisic acid.

Key Results: Fruits of S. lycocarpum contain dormant seeds before natural dispersion. The best germination condition found was a 12-h alternating light/dark and high/low (20/30 °C) temperature cycle, which seemed to target properties of the endosperm cap. The endosperm cap contains 7–8 layers of elongated polygonal cells and is predestined to facilitate radicle protrusion. The force required to puncture the endosperm cap decreased in two stages during germination and showed a significant negative correlation with endo-ß-mannanase activity. As a result of the thick endosperm cap, the puncture force was significantly higher in S. lycocarpum than in tomato and coffee. Endo-ß-mannanase activity was detected in the endosperm cap prior to radicle protrusion. Abscisic acid inhibited germination, increase of embryo weight during imbibition, the second stage of weakening of the endosperm cap and of endo-ß-mannanase activity in the endosperm cap.

Conclusions: The germination mechanism of S. lycocarpum bears resemblance to that of tomato and coffee seeds. However, quantitative differences were observed in embryo pressure potential, endo-ß-mannanase activity and endosperm cap resistance that were related to germination rates across the three species.

Key words: Abscisic acid, endo-ß-mannanase, endosperm cap, morphology, pressure potential, seed germination, Solanaceae, Solanum lycocarpum


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