Aspectos morfoanatômicos da semente de Caiaué Elaeis oleifera(Kunth) Cortés e eventos da embriogênese somáticaa partir de embriões zigóticos

Abstract

Elaeis oleifera is a. native palm in the Americas whose fruit pulp oil contains high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids. Research on the species is mainly motivated by the interest in genes that confer resistance to pests, diseases and reduced vertical growth of the sprig to use in the genetic improvement of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), the world's leading source of vegetable oil. Hybrid cultivation among these species (HIE OxG) are carried out mainly by the resistance of this material to the anomaly called Fatal yellowing of the oil palm, present in the Caiaud and transmitted to F1 hybrids. The propagation of the Caiaue is performed by seeds that require procedures to overcome dormancy to obtain a high and uniform germination rate. Knowing the structure of seeds as well as the structural compounds is important to understand the germination process. After the seeds were collected, observations were made, describing the shape, color and texture. The anatomical study was done by the inclusion method in resin. Histochemical tests were performed to detect the main metabolites. The seeds showed biometric and morphological variation with protein and lipid content. Embryo is straight, apical, small, with protein and lipid contents, undifferentiated poles and three-leaf poles. The morphological and histochemical study of the Elaeis oleifera seed identified important characteristics to understand and optimize the germination process of the species, providing subsidy for the development of new germination methods, necessary for the maintenance and conservation of the progenies of the species in the conduction of breeding programs and production of hybrid seeds.