Implications of the harvest time on Syngonanthus nitens (Bong.) Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae) management in the state of Minas Gerais

Syngonanthus nitens (Bong.) Ruhland is an everlasting plant known as golden grass (states of TO, GO, DF) and as sedinha (states of MG, BA), and its inflorescences are used in internationally renowned handicraft. In the state of Minas Gerais, the use of the inflorescences in handcraft began only in 2006. Up until then, the inflorescences were only marketed in bulk with no added value. The harvest usually begins in August, which matches the time when anthropic fires usually occur. That has helped to make harvest begin increasingly earlier so as to guarantee the raw material will be collected in the fields. Early harvest may compromise the species’ conservation since the removal of inflorescences may take place even before seed production or full maturation. Knowing the time of seed production and dispersal as well as germination is crucial to define management techniques. The present study sought to find out the best time to begin the harvest of the species in Minas Gerais, whether the seeds from inflorescences harvested for handicraft could be stored for sowing at the beginning of the wet season and whether the seeds from inflorescences kept in the field germinate in the wet season subsequent to the flowering. The date of harvest time of the capitula was related to the production and germination of seeds from inflorescences harvested in 2008, 2009, and 2010; the germination, in the early wet season, of seeds from capitula harvested between August and November, the germination of seeds of ripe capitula left in the field, and to the biometry of inflorescences and seeds of two morphotypes, the large and small sedinha , were assessed. Seed production began in August. The largest number of seeds per capitulum and the highest germination rates were seen in September. Capitula that remained in the field for 7 months had germinable seeds. The seeds of small and large golden grass measured, respectively, 0.645 and 0.745 mm and weighed 0.024 and 0.035 mg. The results showed that starting harvest in September and returning the capitula of inflorescences used in handicraft to the field, besides leaving the remaining capitula in the field at the time of harvest, may represent important tools for the sustainable management of golden grass in Minas Gerais since these actions minimize the impacts of harvest on the reproduction through seeds.