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Desiccation-induced dormancy in papaya (Carica papaya L.) seeds is alleviated by heat shock

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Christopher B. Wood ,
Hugh W. Pritchard  and
Dilip Amritphale
Christopher B. Wood
Affiliation:
Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TN, UK
Hugh W. Pritchard*
Affiliation:
Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TN, UK
Dilip Amritphale
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Management and Plant Sciences, Vikram University, Ujjain, 456010 Madhya Pradesh, India
*
*Correspondence Fax: +44 (0)1444 894110 Email: h.pritchard@rbgkew.org.uk
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Abstract

The effects of desiccation and temperature on the germination capability of Carica papaya L. were investigated for seeds extracted from three commercial fruit batches. More than 50% of freshly isolated, cleaned (sarcotesta removed) but undried seeds germinated at 26°C. However, desiccation to approx. 20%seed RH reduced germination at this temperature to < 10%. A substantial increase in germination at alternating temperatures (33/19°C) indicated that desiccation induced seed dormancy rather than viability loss. Dormancy could be removed in a large proportion of the population by the application of a single heat shock to rehydrated seeds for 4 h at 36°C, with subsequent return to 26°C for germination. Longer (days) and shorter (minutes) periods of heat shock were less effective for releasing dormancy. Heat shock was generally applied 5 or 14 d after rehydration had started, but the treatment was equally effective after imbibition for only 1 d. Light was always applied during both imbibition and the post-heat shock treatment, but was not essential during the actual heat shock treatment. Rehydration and post-heat shock temperature treatments in the range of 16°C to 36°C revealed the same optima of 26°C. Dormancy was re-imposed in heat-shocked seeds when they were subsequently dried to seed relative humidities of 25 to 75%(5 to 11% moisture content [fresh weight basis]), but this state could be removed by a further heat shock. The longer heat-shocked seeds were held on agar-water at 26°C prior to re-drying, the greater the level of desiccation intolerance.

Keywords

Carica papaya L.seed dormancydesiccationheat shockgermination
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 135 - 145
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

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