Evaluation of seed physiological quality of papaya elite hybrids, their reciprocal crosses and parents

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds of three hybrid combinations and their reciprocals, as well as the selfed parents, and to estimate genetic parameters associated with seed quality, and possible reciprocal effects. The experiment used F1 hybrid papaya seeds and their reciprocal crosses between JS12 and Sunrise Solo 72/12, Sekati and Waimanalo, and the seeds of the parents and two varieties, totaling 12 treatments in a completely randomized design with four replications. Weight of 1,000 seeds, germination, seedling fresh weight and seedling dry weight, first count, speed of germination and seedling emergence were determined. There was no xenia effect for weight of 1,000 seeds and seedling fresh weight. The reciprocal effect was not expressed for germination and seedling emergence, while for the other traits, it was not expressed only for JS12 x Sekati. Differences among hybrids and their parents occurred as a result of the action of pollen in the crosses, and justified by early heterosis. The most sensitive vigor tests to discriminate differences in performance of hybrids and their reciprocals were speed of germination and seedling fresh weight. There were high magnitudes of the estimates for the genotypic determination coefficient for most of the evaluated variables, except for seedling fresh weight.