Viewing to verify whether the germination test should really be conducted within one
hour after the seeds leave the accelerated aging chamber (as recomendations by AOSA and ISTA),
soybean seeds of the BR-16 cultivar were artificially aged under the prescribed conditions of 41oC and
relative humidity close to 100% for 72 hours. The initial germination of these seeds was of 80% and after
the aging treatment they were put inside cloth bags and subjected to the following enviromental
conditions: room temperature and relative humidity, dry chamber (relative humidity of 40% and
temperature of 363oC) and cool chamber where the temperature was around 10oC and the relative
humidity of 70%. The germination test was conducted imediately after the seeds left the aging chamber
and 24 and 48 hours after they were maintained under the enviromental conditions described above.
The seeds that were for 48 hours under the conditions of the cool chamber had a germination result
significantly superior to that of the seeds tested immediately after leaving the aging chamber. The seeds
that remained under the other conditions for the periods of time of 24 and 48 hours germinated as much
the same as those tested imediately after aging.