ABSTRACT Seed predation is a natural phenomenon that can occur either before or after dispersal and can significantly reduce the economic value and reproductive potential of plants. The babassu palm (Attalea vitrivir, Arecaceae) is important to rural communities that extract oil from its fruits for a wide variety of uses. We evaluated the predation and germination of A. vitrivirseeds in Pandeiros River Environmental Protection Area (EPA-Pandeiros) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Sixty individual plants were evaluated to determine their fruiting patterns. Seed predation and germination were evaluated in the natural environment for eight months for fruits divided into two treatments: scarified and intact. Germination of fruits submitted to these same treatments was also evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Our results indicated that fruiting is continuous in this species and that fruit morphology does not influence either germination or predation. Likewise, fruit scarification did not influence seed germination. Pachymerus cardo (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) preferentially oviposited on scarified fruits, but only after their dispersal. The predation rate in the natural environment was 14.6%. Germination was not observed under natural conditions, but reached 33.05% under greenhouse conditions.

RESUMO Os objetivos deste trabalho foram caracterizar morfologicamente os frutos de babaçu e estimar a sua produtividade (Attalea vitrivir) no Norte de Minas Gerais. Foram coletados 20 frutos maduros de 10 plantas em três áreas, no Município de Januária, MG Mensuraram-se 18 parâmetros biométricos dos frutos, determinou-se o teor de óleo das sementes e avaliaram-se a aderência à distribuição normal, a distribuição de frequência e a correlação entre as variáveis e o efeito do indivíduo e da área. Quantificou-se a produção de cachos por planta e de frutos por cacho em 10 plantas, nas três áreas, e estimou-se a produtividade potencial em condição de extrativismo e de cultivo. Em todas as variáveis biométricas estudadas, houve diferença significativa entre os indivíduos e áreas, evidenciando-se grande variabilidade na morfologia dos frutos. O teor médio de óleo foi de 45, 7%, com diferença significativa entre os indivíduos. A grande variabilidade encontradafavorece, em programas de melhoramento, a seleção de indivíduos mais produtivos. A produtividade potencial de endocarpo e óleo em densidade de 400 plantas/ha é de 6,4 e 1,2 t/ha, respectivamente, o que amplia a possibilidade de uso de A. vitrivir na produção de carvão, na indústria de biocombustíveis e na fixação de carbono.

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to morphologically characterize fruits of the babassu palm tree (Attalea vitrivir) and to estimate their productivity in the north of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Twenty mature fruits were collected from 10 plants in three different areas in Januária, Minas Gerais. Eighteen biometric parameters of the fruits were measured, the oil contents of the seeds was determined, the adherence to normal distribution was evaluated, distribution frequencies were evaluated and the effects of individuals and areas on the variables and the correlations between them were analyzed. The production of fruit bunches per plant and the number of fruits per bunch from 10 plants were quantified in three areas and the potential production under both natural harvesting and cultivation conditions were estimated. Significant differences were found among all of the biometric parameters examined between the different individuals and the different areas, which shows wide morphological variability in the fruits. The average oil content was 45.7%, but with significant differences among individuals. The observed variability favors the selection of productive individuals in genetic improvement programs. The potential productivity of endocarps and oil based on a density of 400/plants per hectare would be respectively 6.4 and 1.2 tons/ha, which indicates the possibility of using A. vitrivir for producing charcoal, bio fuels, and for carbon fixation.