PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF TOMATO SEEDS IN RELATION TO FRUIT AGE AND POST-HARVEST STORAGE

DEBORAH DE SOUZA VIDIGAL, DENISE CUNHA FERNANDES DOS SANTOS DIAS, DANIEL DOS SANTOS PORTO CARRERO NAVEIRA, FABIANO BRANCO ROCHA, MARIA CARMEN BHERING

 

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of age and post-harvest storage period of tomato fruits (Kada cv, Santa Cruz group) on seed quality. Fruits were harvested at 40, 50 and 60 DAA and stored for 0, 4, 8 and 12 days before seed extraction. The seeds were fermented for two days at 25ºC to remove the mucilage. The following characteristics were evaluated: seed moisture and dry matter content, standard germination, first count, speed emergence index, accelerated aging and electrical conductivity. The post-harvest storage of fruits harvested at 60 DAA reduced the seed quality. For the fruits harvested at 50 DAA, 8 days-storage contributed to increasing the speed of emergence. Early harvest (40 DAA) was beneficial to physiological seed quality, when related to post harvest fruit storage for 12 days.



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