This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the accelerated aging test at different
periods and exposure temperatures in evaluation of the physiological seed quality of sweet corn
lots. The assays were carried out from February to June 2000 at the Laboratório de Sementes of
the Phytotechny Department in the Universidade Federal de Viçosa - MG. Corn seeds of the
cultivar BR 400 (Super-Doce) were used into four lots obtained from a drying process at 30, 40,
50 and 60oC and an environmental relative humidity of 60%. Initially the moisture content of the
seeds was determined and then the seed physiologic quality were evaluated by the germination,
first germination count and cold tests. The entirely randomized experimental design was used for
these tests. Two experiments were carried out in evaluating the methodology of the accelerated
aging test. The first experiment was carried out at 42oC temperature on an entirely randomized
design and a factorial scheme 4x4 (four aging periods: zero, 48, 72 and 96 hours and four seed
lots) arranged on a split-plot design over time. The second experiment was carried out at 45oC
temperature by using the same design and a factorial scheme 4x4 (four aging periods: zero, 24, 48
and 72 hours and four seed lots). In both experiments, the 45oC temperature and the 24hourexposure
to the accelerated aging provided a better differentiation among lots with different quality
levels. The 42oC temperature over a 72 hour-period allowed a better differentiation between seed
lots as to their physiologic quality.