Essential oils in the seed quality of Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr. Allemão

Aroeira-do-sertão is a native species of the Brazilian semiarid region, with pharmacological properties and potential for reforestation of degraded areas, making the use of healthy seeds essential for seedling production. In the absence of registered chemical products for the treatment of native forest seeds, the development of effective alternative methods for pathogen control, such as the use of essential oils, becomes indispensable. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of essential oils in reducing pathogen incidence and improving the physiological quality of aroeira seeds. The experiment was conducted at the Phytopathology Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraíba. Seeds of aroeira obtained from the Seed Network of the São Francisco Integration Project were used, and their moisture content was determined. Seeds were treated with essential oils at a concentration of 1%. Treatments consisted of T1: Control; T2: Captan; T3: Cinnamon leaf; T4: Ginger; T5: Palmarosa; T6: Thyme; T7: Sicilian lemon; T8: Peppermint; T9: Oregano; and T10: Tangerine. The seeds were subjected to a health test, using ten replications of ten seeds, and to germination and emergence tests, with four replications of 25 seeds. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design. Cinnamon leaf and thyme essential oils reduced the incidence of the fungal genera Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Ulocladium, Pestalotia, and Curvularia in M. urundeuva seeds and did not affect seed physiological quality.