Aiming at evaluating germination ability under laboratory conditions, seeds of six Paspalum notatum Flügge accessions were submitted to the standard germination test and two methodologies to break dormancy: 1) imbebition in potassium nitrate (0.2%) and 2) mechanical scarification of the cariopsis. A split plot experimental design was used with four repetitions of 100 seeds each, for each accession and each treatment. Accessions were treated as plots and treatments as subplots. Results showed differences among accessions regarding seed viability evaluated by germination test (P<0.05). The KNO3 treatment was the most efficient in breaking dormancy for all accessions.