RELAÇÃO DA DESFOLHA COM A QUALIDADE FISIOLÓGICA DE SEMENTES DE SOJA

Abstract

Defoliation due to pest insect damage has always been one of the major causes in grain yield losses in soybean crop, containing few records of its implication in seed physiological quality. Taking into account that culture is the main one produced in national territory, several studies should still be done to verify the reduction of physiological quality. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of soybean seeds submitted to different defoliation levels, comparing different methods of seed vigor and viability assessment. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with five treatments and five replicates, totaling 25 experimental units, to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds submitted to different defoliation intensities, germination tests, first germination count and accelerated aging were performed, as described below. The treatment that statistically differentiated from the other ones was the one that had 60% defoliation.