QUALIDADE FÍSICA E FISIOLÓGICA DE SEMENTES DE ALFACE COMERCIALIZADAS EM CERES, GO

Abstract

The quality of the seeds directly interferes in the final performance of the culture, being the physiological and sanitary potential extremely important for a fast and uniform germination in the field. The use of tests that provide an estimate of seed performance in the field is an important aspect to be considered. This study aimed to evaluate the physical and physiological quality of iceberg lettuce seeds commercialized in Ceres, GO. Four lettuce seed brands (Sakata, Seminis, TopSeed and Feltrin) were evaluated. The design used was completely randomized, with four treatments and five replications. The following tests were performed: purity, germination, moisture content, thousand seed weight, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity, emergence, emergence speed index, number of leaves, seedling height and seedling dry mass. The results were submitted to analysis of variance and Tukey's test (5% error probability). The germination and physical purity of the seeds of the four brands evaluated in Ceres, GO are in accordance with the minimum standards required by MAPA. The seeds of the brands Sakata and Seminis presented greater weight of a thousand seeds. TopSeed lettuce seeds were the only ones to present a moisture level within the maximum recommended limit. Lettuce seedlings originated from TopSeed seeds showed higher shoot dry mass, evidencing their vigor.