Germination and short-term conservation of Melocactus guitartii León seeds (Cactaceae)

Abstract

The germination of 50 seeds of Melocactus guitartii León (Cactaceae), six and twelve months old, collected in the town of Manaquitas, Cabaiguán Municipality, Sancti Spiritus in the month of July 2005, was comparatively evaluated. The evaluations were carried out during January and July. of 2006, respectively. Zeolite was used as a substrate in a cultivation house belonging to the Institute of Plant Biotechnology (IBP), in Villa Clara. The six-month-old seeds began to germinate on the thirteenth day, with 50% (or more) germination being recorded on the sixteenth day and germination of 42 of the 50 seeds evaluated (84%). While more than half of the one-year-old seeds They begin to germinate, at the same time, on the tenth day, a “little advance” compared to the previous group. Furthermore, 88% final germination was obtained on the fifteenth day. All this could indicate that, under the conditions evaluated, there is no decrease in the viability of the seeds but rather a slight increase in the final percentage, between seeds that are six and twelve months old. There is a decrease in dormancy, and germination is concentrated in a smaller number of days. Although such results could be influenced by differences in temperature, during the evaluation months, in the cultivation house.