RELAÇÃO ENTRE A CONDUTIVIDADE ELÉTRICA E O DESEMPENHO DE SEMENTES DE SOJA EM CAMPO

Abstract

Literature presents several studies on the electrical conductivity test, although its use is still restricted. One of the difficulties is the definition of reference standards for each species. In the electrical conductivity test, seed vigor is evaluated by the amount of leachate in the seed soaking solution. The greater the release of exudates, the greater the conductivity value and the lower the vigor. The objective of this work was to study the relationship between the electrical conductivity values of soybean seed lots and the performance under field conditions, seeking to prove the potential of this test for the crop and to establish standard values of electrical conductivity as an indicative of the level of vigor of the lot. For the evaluation of the physiological potential, the following tests were carried out in lots of three cultivars: germination (G); electrical conductivity (EC); accelerated aging (AA) and field seedling emergence (FSE). Data were analyzed in randomized blocks, with four laboratory replicates for each field plot for the G and AA tests and six for EC. The EC test showed to be promising for the evaluation of soybean seed vigor and the values placed most lots in the high and medium vigor classes.