Naturaleza

VOL 31 No2 MAYO - AGOSTO 2004. ARTICULO DE INVESTIGACION

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Estudios de Dormancia y Germinación de Malva (Malva parviflora) R. Chorbadjian y M. Kogan1
Departamento de Ciencias VegetalesFacultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Casilla 306-22, Santiago, Chile

Abstract R. Chorbadjian and M. Kogan. Dormancy and germination studies on mallow(Malva parviflora). Studies indicated that mallow seeds could be liberated from the fruit by soaking them in sulfuric acid (95%) during 2 h. These treatments did not affect seed germination at 90 dayspost harvest (DPH), but increased it slightly at 150 DPH. Due to the fact that only dorsal cuts of the seed coat with scalpel or needle puncturing, or chemical scarification allowed an increase in theirgermination, it was determined that M. parviflora seeds presented dormancy imposed by the seed coat. A higher germination rate was observed when the seed coat was cut (scalpel) than when it waspunctured with a needle. Chemical scarification with sulfuric acid for 15 min to 4 h, allowed for approximately 90% germination of the seeds at 150 DPH, increasing the percentage of seeds damaged by theacid when treated up to 2 h. In the chemical scarification treatments, seeds that were scarified at 150 DPH germinated in higher percentages than those treated at 90 DPH. Studies carried out with seedsliberated of their fruit by acid treatments for 2 h and later scarified for 2 h with the same acid, were able to germinate with temperatures ranging from 3.4 to 33.3ºC, with a peak in the germinationrate between 16 and 24ºC. Key words: Dormancy, germination, mallow, seed, temperature.
Cien. Inv. Agr. 31(2): 129-136. 2004

INTRODUCCION La dormancia se considera como la inhabilidad de una semillapara germinar aunque disponga de condiciones favorables. Muchas especies vegetales y especialmente las malezas producen semillas con algún tipo de dormancia, lo que determina que sus semillas sólo...