Investigation of dormancy and storage potential of seeds of yellow passion fruit

Abstract: Passiflora actinia Hooker is a passion fruit species native to Brazil, typically found in the Atlantic and Araucaria Forests. It has economic relevance (edible fruit) and medicinal value (sedative and anxiolytic properties), in addition to being used for vegetative propagation, as rootstock for other Passiflora species. This study aimed at investigating the occurrence of dormancy in P. actinia seeds, and at evaluating their storage potential. The germination test considered different combinations of temperature and lighting regimes, whereas seed dormancy was assessed using different germination-inducing treatments (tegument cutting, warm water immersion, and gibberellin application). Seed viability during storage was also appraised. The results showed that seed germination should be conducted on paper at the alternating temperature of 20-30 °C, without lighting. Also, newly-harvested seeds presented physical and physiological dormancies. The immersion of seeds in water at 40 °C or 50 °C (for 5 or 10 minutes) proved to be efficient in breaking the physical dormancy. Physiological dormancy, in turn, was successfully interrupted by applying 100 mg. L-1 of gibberellic acid on the substrate paper. The storage of seeds under refrigeration, inside hermetically sealed polyethylene packaging, preserved their physiological quality for up to nine months.

摘要：尖峰西番莲（Passiflora actinia Hooker）是原产于巴西的西番莲属物种，自然分布于大西洋森林与南洋杉林生境中。该物种兼具经济价值（果实可食用）与药用价值（具备镇静及抗焦虑特性），同时可作为无性繁殖材料，用作其他西番莲属物种的嫁接砧木。
本研究旨在探究尖峰西番莲种子的休眠发生情况，并评估其贮藏潜力。试验设置了不同温度与光照组合开展发芽测试，通过种皮切割、温水浸种及赤霉素（Gibberellin）处理等多种萌发诱导手段评估种子休眠特性，同时对贮藏过程中的种子活力进行了检测。
结果表明，尖峰西番莲种子应在无光照条件下，以20~30 ℃的变温环境在纸床中进行发芽培养。新采收的种子同时存在物理休眠与生理休眠两种休眠类型：将种子置于40 ℃或50 ℃水中浸种5或10分钟，可有效打破其物理休眠；而通过在纸床基质施加100 mg·L⁻¹的赤霉酸，则可成功破除生理休眠。将种子密封于聚乙烯包装中置于冷藏条件下贮藏，可将其生理品质保留长达9个月。