Moisture Content and Packaging Condition on the Germination of Amaranth BRS Alegria Seeds
Patrícia Monique Crivelari da Costa *
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Aloisio Bianchini
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Carlos Caneppele
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Patrícia Helena Azevedo
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Ana Lucia da Silva
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Matheus Azevedo dos Santos
Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Pedro Silvério Xavier Pereira
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the packaging conditions and the initial moisture content of amaranth BRS Alegria seeds, stored in the period of 13 months (10 months ambient conditions and 3 months in cold chamber). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme with two initial moisture contents (9.82% and 7.84%), and two packing conditions (sealed and unsealed), with four replications, totaling 16 plots. The germination was in 12 hours photoperiod and 25°C constant temperature, for 7 days. The variables analyzed were percentage of germination (PG), first germination count (FGC), non-germinated seeds (NGS), germination speed index (GSI) and mean germination time (MGT). The sealed 9.82% seed lot presented better results for PG, NGS and GSI (77.5%, 22.5% and 24.88, respectively). The moisture content of 9.82% is adequate for the storage of Amaranthus cruentus BRS Alegria, with no further drying required. It is recommended to seal the packages for the storage of amaranth seeds of BRS Alegria, as it maintains its physiological quality for longer.
Keywords: Amaranthus cruentus, first germination count, germination speed index, mean germination time.