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A multifactorial study of conditions influencing longevity of neem (Azadirachta indica) seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Moctar Sacandé ,
Folkert A. Hoekstra ,
Jaap G. van Pijlen  and
Steven P. C. Groot
Moctar Sacandé*
Affiliation:
Centre National de Semences Forestières (CNSF), B.P. 2682, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Dept. of Biomolecular Sciences, Lab. of Plant Physiology, Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU), Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands DLO-Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research (CPRO), PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Folkert A. Hoekstra
Affiliation:
Dept. of Biomolecular Sciences, Lab. of Plant Physiology, Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU), Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jaap G. van Pijlen
Affiliation:
DLO-Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research (CPRO), PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Steven P. C. Groot
Affiliation:
DLO-Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research (CPRO), PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
*
* Tel: +31 317 482806 Fax: +31 317 484740 E-mail: moctar.sacande@algem.pf.wau.nl
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Abstract

The longevity of neem, Azadirachta indica, seeds from African Sahelian (Burkina Faso) and Asian (Sri Lanka) provenances was studied over two years of storage under different conditions of moisture and temperature. After drying to equilibrium moisture content (MC) at different relative humidities at 20°C, seeds were placed in open storage at 20°C or hermetically sealed in packets at temperatures ranging from −20 to +20°C. There was hardly any difference in storage behaviour between seed batches / lots, whatever their provenance. Seeds originating from mature yellow fruits lived longer than seeds from green or brown fruits. In all storage experiments with seeds having MCs ≥ 10%, viability was preserved best at 10−15°C, indicating that neem seed is chilling (and freezing) sensitive. There was no survival longer than 2 years under these conditions. At MCs of 4–8%, seeds were considerably more tolerant of low temperature storage and had 40–60% viability after 2 years at all temperatures tested (−20 to +20°C). However, the seeds were sensitive to imbibitional stress, which could be alleviated by imbibition at temperatures of 25–30°C or above. The difficult storage behaviour of neem seed seems to stem from: (1) the sensitivity to low temperatures at MCs ≥ 10%; (2) the extreme sensitivity to imbibitional stress after storage at ≤ 8% MC; (3) underestimation of the water activity due to the high oil content of the neem seeds, causing unexpected metabolic stress in the higher MC and temperature range.

Keywords

Azadirachta indicaneemseed storageseed longevitydesiccationgerminationtemperatureimbibitional stress
Type
Physiology & Biochemistry
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , December 1998 , pp. 473 - 482
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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