Ripening stage and post-harvest storage effect on the physiological quality of passion fruit seeds

This work aimed to identify the effects of the ripening stage and postharvest storage fruits period on the physiological quality of Passiflora edulis Sims ‘SCS437 Catarina’ seeds. The experiments were conducted over two cycles: 2019/2020 (experiment 1) and 2020/2021(experiment 2). Four fruit ripening stages (50, 57, 64, and 71 days after anthesis [DAA]) and four storage durations (0, 7, 14 and 21 days post-harvest) were evaluated. In experiment 1, the highest seed germination percentage was observed in fruits harvested at 57 DAA, stored for 16 days, and displaying a yellow coloration. In the experiment 2, no specific ripening stage consistently resulted in a higher germination percentage as storage durations progressed. In both experiments, post-harvest fruit storage facilitated seed maturation in younger fruits, enhancing both germination speed and percentage across all ripening stages. Harvesting fruits with yellow-colored skins is recommended as an indicator of superior seed physiological quality.