Criteria for conduction of tetrazolium test on araucaria seeds

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine criteria for the conduction of tetrazolium test on araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia) seeds, with greater execution speed and detailed characterization of viability groups. Initially, germination and tetrazolium tests were conducted according to the Rules for Seed Testing for Araucaria spp. After that, more practical methods for carrying out the tetrazolium test were evaluated, without pre‑wetting of the seeds and using excised embryos immersed directly in the tetrazolium solution; three concentrations of the solution (0.075, 0.2, and 0.5%), three staining periods (1, 2, and 4 hours), and two staining temperatures (30 and 40°C) were tested. The means obtained for each conducted test were compared by the Scott‑Knott test, at 1% probability. The tetrazolium test may be effectively used through the excision of araucaria embryos and the direct immersion in the tetrazolium solution using the following combinations of concentration/period/temperature: 0.5%/2 hours/30°C, 0.075%/4 hours/40°C, or 0.5%/2 hours/40°C, allowing the classification of the seeds into two different viability groups (viable and unviable).