Monitoramento da qualidade da semente de milho hibrida em uma empresa equatoriana

Abstract

For the germination test, we used the ISTA rules methodology (2009). We evaluated seedling's emergence in the field in order to assess seed vigor. The moisture content was estimated by oven drying method for 24 hours at 105 ◦ C. The seed inventory is composed of 6 genotypes and all of them were kept under controlled conditions, 60% of relative air humidity and 12 ◦ C, respectively. Per preference of the seed market (farmers) new imported hybrid seed was added to the seed inventory every year. At the same time after the selling seasons (winter and summer) all the seed bags were not sold returned to the distributor’s facility. Seed bags returned were kept under inappropriate conditions in retailers and other places for commercial purposes. This seed flow was repeated during the period 2009-2015 and evaluated each year. Seed quality decreased progressively in the last two years. Seed germination rate reached values above 94.85% and vigor 90.18% in 2015. In 2014 and 2015 it occurred an intense commercial activity with a greater variation of the standard deviation of germination and vigor. Except for 2009, the average moisture remained in the range between 11.70 and 12.76% but there were above average scores and the most of them 16.17% in 2014.