QUALIDADE DE SEMENTES DE MILHO CONDICIONADAS COM DIFERENTES DOSAGENS DE BRASSINOLÍDE

Abstract

Seed quality directly impacts the agronomic characteristics and final productivity of corn crops. The presence of low-vigor seeds reduces the quality of a batch, decreasing seed germination and storage capacity. This study aims to evaluate the effect of different doses of the hormone brassinolide on corn seed conditioning. The experiment was carried out at the Instituto Federal Goiano, Campus Rio Verde. For the test, SYN8A98 hybrid corn seeds conditioned with increasing concentrations of brassinolide (0; 0.5; 1 and 2 μM) were used. Unconditioned seeds were also analyzed as controls. The evaluations focused on the physiological potential, with emphasis on germination and vigor parameters and on the anatomical and histochemical changes induced by priming. The results indicated that seed conditioning with brassinolide generated significant positive responses. The treated seeds showed a significant increase in the germination rate compared to the control group, which confirms the efficiency of brassinolide at the various concentrations evaluated. Furthermore, seedlings from the treatment showed superior initial development, with emphasis on greater tolerance to stresses, such as the cold test and water restriction.