Seedling length test in the evaluation of the physiological quality of Amburana cearensis (Allemão) A.C. Smith seeds

Abstract

Vigor tests are used in the internal quality control by seed producing companies. Amongst the vigor tests, the test of length of seedlings has potential to give complementary informations to the germination test and makes possible to estimate the potential of emergence of seedlings in the field. The objective of this study was to verify the possibility of using the seedling length test as a vigor method to classify soybean seed lots in agreement with their physiological quality. The physiological quality of nine A. cearensis seeds lots was evaluated by viability and vigor test carried out in the laboratory and field. A completely randomized design was used. The seeds coming from Serra Negra – RN (lots L1, L2 and L3) reached higher percentage of emergence and seedling length, allowing the classification as lots of high vigor. The averages were compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5%. Wider separation of lots in vigor levels was obtained in tests of seedling length, followed by the test first germination and field emergence.

Keywords

• Vigor; Forest seeds; Germination; Emergence