DIFERENTES INSUMOS PARA INCRUSTAÇÃO DE SEMENTES FORRAGEIRAS

Abstract

Pastures are the basis of Brazilian livestock feed, requiring appropriate management methods to establish quality pastures. Seed coating is an important technique in the forage seed production process, a technology aimed at improving physical quality, facilitating sowing, and adding commercial value to seeds. This study aimed to evaluate different materials used for coating seeds of two forage cultivars (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu and Urochloa brizantha × Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Convert 330), considering physical and visual aspects, dissolution, seedling emergence, and cost. The experiment was conducted at the Seed Technology Laboratory of Barenbrug do Brasil, in a 2 × 6 factorial design with three replications, consisting of two cultivars and six mixtures of inert coating materials: attapulgite + dolomite, bentonite, bentonite + dolomite, dolomite, wheat flour + dolomite, and sweet potato starch + dolomite. The following were evaluated: incrustation factor, particle size sieving, visual score, color, water dissolution, seedling emergence, and cost. The dolomite-based treatments showed better physical uniformity, higher visual score, and better color. Bentonite, alone or in combination with dolomite, provided high dissolution and good physical performance. The treatments containing isolated dolomite showed low dissolution, resulting in lower seedling emergence. It can be concluded that the choice of inert material directly influences the physical and physiological quality of coated seeds, with mixtures containing bentonite and dolomite being the most balanced in terms of quality and performance