The objective of this experiment was to study the pre-cleaning effect on physiological quality of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) seeds cv. Comum-RS, with high moisture content and the relations to drying delay and storage. Split plots, completely randomized, were used to compared two pre-cleaning treatments (with and without), plots, 10 drying delay treatments (zero, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 hours), sub-plots and three storage treatments (zero, four and eight months), sub-sub-plots, with two replications. Seeds were placed in 36 isopor boxes each with 24kg, 18 of them containing pre-cleaned seeds. Seeds were dried on a shadowy floor for 12 hours and drying was completed in an oven with circulation of forced air at 35°C. Moisture content, germination, vigor (first germination count and accelerated aging tests) and 1000-seeds weight were evaluated. The results allowed to conclude that the effect of pre-cleaning interacts with drying delay and storage of seeds, affecting physiological quality (germination and vigor) through temperature and moisture content reduction like that delays injurious effects of drying
delay up to eight hours; the difference, in physiological quality, between with and without pre-
cleaning starts to be significative from 12 hours of drying delay.