Storage of sorghum seeds harvested with different moisture levels

Abstract

The aim of this research work was to study the effect of storage in a climatized environment on the physiologic quality of hybrid of sorghum seeds harvested with different moisture contents and submitted to storage, in Uberlândia-MG. The seeds used were collected in a commercial seed production field of Monsanto Brasil Ltd., in the cropping season 2002/2003. The samples were placed in multi-layer paper bags, stored in a climatized warehouse at the processing unit of Monsanto Brasil Ltd. The experimental design was randomized blocks with split plots on time. The experiment had seed samples harvested with four moisture contents (20%, 18%, 14% and 11%) and four storage times (beginning of storage, 10, 22 and 28 months). The changes on seed physiologic quality were evaluated by germination test (normal or abnormal seedlings), cold test (vigour). Also, the moisture content of the seeds was analyzed during storage. From the results, it can be concluded that: a) as harvest proceeded with greater moisture contents, the physiologic quality of these seeds decreased; b) seed physiologic quality decreased significantly; however, the germination percentage remained within the commercialization standard until 28 months.