To evaluate the effects of fungicide seed treatments applied at different storage
times, on physiological and seed health quality, two experiments were conducted with seeds of
two soybean cultivars, Paiaguás (MTBR-45) and BR-16 produced in Pedra Preta, State of Mato
Grosso and Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná, Brazil, respectively. The fungicides (g of active
ingredient/100kg of seeds) were: thiabendazol (17) + thiram (70); carbendazin (30) + thiram (70)
and carboxin (50) + thiram (50). Water and a water solution containing noniphenol oxyetilate,
isopropylic and polyvinylic alcohol were used as vehicles and their dosages were: 100ml, 200ml
and 300ml/50kg of seed. Seeds treated only with the vehicle were the relative controls and untreated
seeds (without fungicide and/or vehicle) were the absolute control. Seeds were treated and analyzed
monthly from September through December, 1996. In another experiment, seeds were treated and
stored for 30, 60 and 90 days before analyses and the results were compared to those obtained
with seeds treated and analyzed at the sowingday, in December, 1996. Seed quality was evaluated
by the germination, accelerated ageing, seed health and field emergence tests, with three replications.
A completely randomized experimental design was employed and the means were compared by
the Tukey and Dunnett tests at the 5% level of probability. There was no negative effect of the
fungicides and time of application on the seed quality for both cultivars. Germination was above
80% in all treatments. The vigor of the seeds showed some decrease, specially in the cultivar
BR-16 treated with carboxin + thiram. Fungicide treatments resulted in significantly higher field
emergence independently of the vehicle employed and in relation to the control.