Abstract

LASKOWSK, Libia  and  BAUTISTA, Dámaso. Phenological study of growth and development of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) seedlings. Bioagro [online]. 2003, vol.15, n.3, pp.173-182. ISSN 1316-3361.

Extracted seeds from mature fruits of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) from the orchard of fruit-bearing of the experimental field of the Horticulture Graduate School of the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (10º 01’ N), Lara State, Venezuela, were selected and sowed in a mixture of sand soil to describe the growth and development of the seedling, from germination to the fall of cotyledons. The morphological evaluations were carried out through 13 successive samplings starting from germination. The results showed that the cotyledons achieve a green color after the hypocotyl upright. The aerial part of the seedling went through nine morphological events chronologically progressive, while the radical system showed only six events. These developmental events occurred synchronistically in the seedling as a whole. After 35 days from germination, the young acerola plant had attained three pairs of true leaves disposed in decussated arrangement. During this period, the main root reached 300 mm length and showed basal and apical ramifications up to the third order. The acerola seedling showed a fast and well synchronized morphological development at the outset but, after the first pair of leaves was formed, the growth and development showed appreciable differences among seedlings as a probable result of the genetic variations of seeds coming from sexual multiplication

Keywords : Seed; germination; shoot growth; root branching.