Effect of fungicide treatment and storage conditions on the quality of hevea seeds

Abstract

Hevea seeds are usually gathered in the State of São Paulo from february till march/april; the months that follow are tipically colder and drier, therefore inadequate for nursery plants. It is then desirable to store the seeds until september/october. The viability of Hevea seeds decreases rapidly with time when stored under natural conditions. This paper reports the results of a trial in which a fungicide treatment and three storage conditions were applied to Hevea seeds with the purpose of observing their quality after pre-determined periods. Two experiments were carried out utilizing seeds collected in plantations in the 1983 and 1984. Germination tests, average height, average green and dry weights of the plants were determined at four dates in 1983 and five in 1984. These datas were set at intervals of two months. Benlate and Captan fungicides were found to be inadequate as Hevea seeds treatment. Seeds of good physiological quality with moisture content over 30% could be stored for a period of six months under standard conditions.