Characterization and biometric correlation of 'Espada' and 'Ubá' mango tree seeds.
Borges C. A. M., Siqueira D. L. de, Dias D. C. F. dos S., Cardoso A. A.
Author Affiliation: Departamento de Fitotecnia da Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36571-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
Revista Ceres : 219-229
Abstract : Thirty seeds (depulped fruits) each of mango cultivars Espada and Ubá were desiccated before determination of the following characteristics: fresh weight of the whole seed (endocarp plus tegument and kernel); fresh weight, width, length, thickness, volume and wall thickness of the endocarp; fresh weight of seed without endocarp (kernel plus teguments); fresh weight of testa; fresh weight of tegma; fresh weight, width, length and thickness of kernel (seed without teguments); number and mean fresh weight of the embryos; and site and mean length of the seed embryonic axes. Data for biometric characterization of the seeds were analysed using means, standard deviation and coefficient of variation. For the biometric correlation, Pearson's correlation was applied. Mango cv. Espada displayed lesser polyembryony than cv. Ubá, with 4.33 and 6.40 embryos per seed, respectively. Seeds of this cultivar also showed concentration of the embryonic axes in the region surrounding the seeds which must, consequently, be sown whole. Ubá seeds showed a better distribution of its embryonary axes, which indicates that they may be sown split.