Assessment of Carambola Seed Physiological Quality Using Vigor Indices

The object of this study was to evaluate the immediate and latent effects of different drying conditions on the vigor of carambola seeds, measured as the speed of germination index (SGI) and mean germination time (tmean). Drying tests were performed at 33, 35 and 38 °C, and seeds were stored for 45, 60, 90, 180 and 270 d at 15 °C. There was no immediate effect of storage time or drying temperature on the vigor of the seeds based on either SGI or tmean values. No latent effect of drying at 33 and 38 °C was observed for any of the storage times, based on SGI. However, SGI values revealed differences in the physiological quality of seedlots with similar germination test results. There was no significant effect of storage time on tmean at any of the tested temperatures. In addition, tmean values for different storage periods did not provide any additional information about the physiological potential of the seedlots not already provided by the germination test. These findings suggested that the two vigor indices cannot be used concomitantly to obtain accurate information on the physiological quality of carambola seedlots.