The objective this work was to evaluate the effect of harvest and husk machinery on physical,
physiological and sanitary qualities of corn seeds with different levels of water content. The experimental plots,
established by direct sowing and irrigated, used the double hybrid AG-122. Corn ears were harvest manually e
mechanically, when kernel water content was approximately 28 % and 18 %. Half the ears was hand husked while
the other half was husked mechanically. Afterward, corn ears were enclosed on jute sacks and dried until 11,3 
0,6% water content. Corn ears were shelled by stationary hammer machine operating at 630rpm. An additional
treatment included corn ears picked, husked and shelled manually, when kernel water content was aproximately
28% and 18%, still part of the experimental plots were harvested as a corn grain, and the kernels were dried until
10,9% water content. Seeds from each treatment were evaluated by the following determinations: water content,
purity, infected seeds, proportion of mechanical damage, cold test, seedling emergence and sanity test. The results
indicated that corn ears combined or mechanically harvested showed the highest damage with 28% of water
content. Such mechanical damage influenced initial seed physiological quality. Seeds harvested as corn ears yielded
better physiological quality than those harvested as a corn grain. In addition, seeds harvested manually presented
less damage than those harvested mechanically. Sanity quality of seeds with 28% water content was superior to
any other seed independent of the harvest method.