Evaluation of the effect of passion fruit fermentation on its seeds as a pre-germination treatment in vitro

Abstract

The passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is a widely distributed and exported fruit in the country, with Huila being one of the departments that contributes the most to its production. The food deficit and the adoption of the concept of Food Security, has led the urban population to use reduced spaces for crops, which favors the production of passion fruit. The seed of this
plant tends, due to its morphology, to have a low germination percentage, so it is necessary to implement pre-germination treatments that increase the germination percentage. This study aims to implement fermentation as a pre-germination treatment in passion fruit seeds, where it was evidenced that this process for 3 days and washing after the treatment, makes
the seed have a softening of the testa and allows the embryo to germinate (46.6 %). . On the contrary, by not using this methodology or subjecting the seed to 24 hours of fermentation, it had a germination percentage of only 26%. According to the above, it is recommended to know the germination percentage of the seed if it is from certified suppliers and to implement the
proposed methodologies for greater success in obtaining seedlings