Temperature and light on germination and vigor of Crambeabyssinica Hochst seeds

With the search for new sources of vegetable raw material for biodiesel production, the crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) emerges as an alternative because of its high oil content, around 40%. Therefore it is necessary to know more about these species and the germination behavior of its seeds. Among the factors that affect germination, the main are temperature and light. The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of temperature and light on germination and vigor of crambe seeds. Crambe seed of cv Brilhante FMS were used and submitted to three temperatures (15, 25 and 35 °C) and two light conditions (presence and absence of light). The following tests were performed: germination, first count of germination, germination speed index, percentage of abnormal seedlings and seeds no germinated. Data were submitted to analysis of variance. Means were compared by Tukey test at 5% and regression analysis was performed. The germination and vigor of crambe seeds was higher at 25 °C in the dark. The presence of light reduced the germination and seed vigor at 15 and 25 ° C. The temperature of 35 ° C does not promote germination in crambe seeds.