Influência da dessecação e debulha em diferentes teores de água na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de milho

Abstract

Corn is the second most abundant crop produced in the world and, for many decades, bulk harvesting was practiced in seed production. The use of seeds of high genetic and physiological quality becomes fundamental to reach high productive ceilings. Therefore, the objective of the study was to understand how the bulk harvesting process, with or without the use of desiccants, could affect the physiological quality of hybrid corn seeds. The experiment was conducted at the Nortox/AS experimental station, in the municipality of Itumbiara, Goiás, in the summer of the 2021/2022 harvest. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, in a two x two x four factorial scheme, that is, two hybrids (female P3456 and female LAND 28) x two methods of desiccation (desiccated and non-desiccated) x four levels of water content. harvest (Control – control, 20%, 16% and 13% humidity), with four replications. Attributes of physical quality of seeds, determination of the 15/64 Sieve, attributes of physiological quality and X-ray test were evaluated. The use of the desiccant Diquat (dose of 2.0 L ha-1) in the production of hybrid seeds demonstrated the application can anticipate the harvest by up to 6 days. The water content in the seeds between 16% and 18% is the most suitable for bulk harvesting. In contrast, the water content of 20% significantly altered seed germination. The influence of the genotypes, when in desiccation, on the variables size and filling of the seeds was observed. In addition, through X-ray analysis, we observed that desiccation affects the perimeter and area of the seeds. Subsidizing further/future studies related to seed longevity and possible cost reduction is of fundamental importance.