Germinação e desenvolvimento inicial de Banisteriopsis malifolia (Ness & Mart.) B. Gates (Malpighiaceae) condicionado pelo peso das sementes

Abstract

The reproductive success of plants depends on several factors, including the presence of pollinators in cultivation areas, which can be increased by the presence of surrounding plants that regularly offer food resources to sustain populations of bees and other floral visitors capable of transporting pollen between flowers of the same species. For this, it is necessary to know relevant aspects for the production of seedlings of native and rustic species, such as the morphological characteristics of the fruits. Our objective was to investigate whether the weight of the fruits influences the germination and initial development of seedlings of Banisteriopsis malifolia (Nees & Mart.) B. Gates (Malpighiaceae), a rustic and native species of the Cerrado, recognized for providing pollen and floral oil to bees. Mature fruits were collected from 23 distinct plants and classified into four weight groups: very light (10–39.9 mg), light (40–59.9 mg), medium (60–79.9 mg), and heavy (80–110 mg). A total of 174 fruits were sown and monitored for 275 days. The results indicated that only medium and heavy fruits were able to germinate (16% and 29.16%, respectively). The development of seedlings was similar between the medium and heavy groups, with no significant differences in height, stem diameter, and number of leaves. The decrease in the number of leaves over time suggests a physiological adjustment to the availability of water resources. Our results indicate that the selection of heavier and medium fruits of B. malifolia can optimize seedling production. The low germination rate may indicate the presence of dormancy influenced by environmental factors, or that the seeds are recalcitrant and must be planted quickly after harvest to maintain viability, which deserves further studies. Keywords: Seedling production, fruit weight, Cerrado, seedling development, dormancy.