GERMINATION AND VIGOR OF INDUSTRIALLY TREATED MAIZE SEEDS

Abstract

THE INDUSTRIAL SEED TREATMENT COMBINES THE APPLICATION OF INSECTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, NEMATICIDES, MICRONUTRIENTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, SEED SUBMISSION TO THE COMBINATION OF SEVERAL PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE PHYTOTOXICITY, RESULTING IN REDUCED VIABILITY AND VIGOR, WHICH IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE INCREASE IN THE STORAGE PERIOD OF THE MATERIAL. THUS, THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO DETERMINE THE VIGOR OF CORN SEEDS AND THE PERCENTAGE OF GERMINATION IN SUBSTRATES WHEN SUBMITTED TO TWO TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL TREATMENT AS A FUNCTION OF STORAGE TIME. THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WAS A COMPLETELY RANDOMIZED, 2 X 2 X 2 FACTORIAL DESIGN (TWO TREATMENTS, TWO TIMES AND TWO SUBSTRATES / TWO VIGOR TESTS / TWO EMERGENCY TESTS) FOR THE GERMINATION, VIGOR AND EMERGENCY TESTS. HYBRID CORN SEEDS WERE TREATED WITH TWO TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL TREATMENTS: TSI3 (COMBINATION OF THREE PRODUCTS - K-OBIOL 25 CE, ACTELLIC 500 CE, MAXIM ADVANCED) AND TSI4 (COMBINATION OF FOUR PRODUCTS - K-OBIOL 25 CE, ACTELLIC 500 CE, MAXIM ADVANCED, CRUISER 350 FS). THE ANALYZED VARIABLES WERE: GERMINATION, VIGOR AND EMERGENCE. IN THE GERMINATION TEST, IT WAS VERIFIED THAT, WHEN VERMICULITE WAS ADDED, THERE WAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF GERMINATION IN CORN SEEDS. WHEN ADDED THIAMETOXAN, THE COMBINATION OF PRODUCTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CORN SEEDS HAD A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THEIR PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY, REDUCING GERMINATION AND VIGOR. THE INDUSTRIALLY TREATED CORN SEEDS SHOWED A REDUCTION IN VIGOR WHEN SUBMITTED TO THE ACCELERATED AGING TEST AFTER THE PROLONGATION OF THE STORAGE PERIOD.