MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SEEDS OF VIGNA UNGUICULATA (L.) WALP (FABACEAE)

Abstract

THE COWPEA, COWPEA, BEACH BEAN, BLACK-EYED PEA OR MACASSAR BEAN (VIGNA UNGUICULATA (L.) WALP.) ORIGINATES IN THE AFRICAN PROVINCES, WITH INTRODUCTION TO BRAZIL IN THE 17TH CENTURY. DUE MAINLY TO ITS CHARACTERISTICS OF RUSTICITY AND PRECOCITY, IT IS CONSIDERED A PLANT THAT ADAPTS TO VARIED CLIMATE CONDITIONS, BEING WIDELY CULTIVATED IN THE BRAZILIAN NORTHEAST. THE STUDY AIMED TO CARRY OUT THE MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND HISTOCHEMICAL TESTS ON COWPEA SEEDS, ANALYZING BOTH THEIR EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FACES, THUS DETERMINING THEIR VIGOR IN THE LABORATORY TO LATER SUBSIDIZE PLANTINGS IN THE FIELD. THE EXPERIMENT WAS CARRIED OUT AT THE MICROSCOPY LABORATORY OF THE CENTRO UNIVERSITÁRIO DE ANÁPOLIS, ANÁPOLIS, GO. IN 100 VIABLE SEEDS WITH CHARACTERIZATION WITHOUT ARTIFACTS, THE DIAMETERS ARE BETWEEN 4 AND 2.5 WHILE THEIR LENGTH IS BETWEEN 7 AND 5.5. THE STUDIES CORROBORATE PREVIOUS STUDIES. THE SEED COMES FROM ANATROPOUS, BITEGMIC AND CRASSINUCELLATE OVULES. OVULE, IN LONGITUDINAL SECTION SHOWS OUTER AND INNER INTEGUMENTS AND NUCELLUS. IN THE REGION OF THE FUNICULUS, ABSENCE OF TRICHOMES. EXTERNAL INTEGUMENT OF THE OVULE, IN CROSS-SECTION, HAS FOUR TO FIVE LAYERS OF CELLS, WITH RECTANGULAR SHAPE, CONSPICUOUS NUCLEI AND THIN EXTERNAL CUTICLE. THE EVALUATION OF THE PRESENCE OR NOT OF ARTIFACTS, SUCH AS LESIONS IN THE SEED COAT CAN BE AN INDICATOR FOR FEASIBILITY STUDIES, SINCE DEPENDING ON THE LESION, THE VIGOR OF THE SEEDS, MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTIES IN THEIR GERMINATION AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, IN THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE PLANT SPECIES. THE RESULTS ARE SIMILAR TO OTHER SPECIES BELONGING TO THE FABACEAE FAMILY, HOWEVER, RESEARCH WITH GREATER DETAIL IN MOLECULAR CHARACTERS IS REQUIRED FOR THE COWPEA CULTIVAR, COMPARED TO STUDIES ON COMMON BEAN.