Armazenamento de sementes de ervilhaca (Vicia sativa L.) em atmosfera controlada com fluxo contínuo de gases

Abstract

Vetch is a cover and winter forage plant with an annual cycle, implanted in cultivation areas through sowing. Deterioration during storage is a constant problem, compromising the viability of seeds for the next planting. The use of a modified atmosphere has proven to be an interesting alternative in seed conservation. Therefore, the objective of the work was to evaluate the viability of storing vetch seeds at low levels of oxygen, testing the use of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the controlled atmosphere method with continuous flow of gases. The experiment was carried out with 4 treatments: Treatment 1 was stored without temperature and atmosphere control, at a concentration of 21 kPa O2 + 0.04 kPa CO2; Treatment 2 was stored without temperature control at a concentration of ≈ 99 kPa CO2; Treatment 3 was stored without temperature control at a concentration of < 1 kPa of O2; and Treatment 4 was stored without atmosphere control, under a concentration of 21 kPa O2 + 0.04 kPa CO2 at a controlled temperature of 13ºC. The seeds were stored for 145 days. To determine the quality of the seeds, germination, electrical conductivity, tetrazolium, accelerated aging, emergence speed index, weight of a thousand seeds, moisture content, and seedling size tests were carried out. The results were compared using the Tukey test, at a 5% probability of error. Low oxygen concentrations maintained the viability of common vetch seeds during the storage period, without causing damage due to hypoxia. It was not possible to identify significant differences in the viability and vigor of vetch seeds between the different forms of atmospheric control during the storage period studied. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the best way to control the atmosphere over a longer storage period.