Bioinsumos: tecnologias de aplicação do óleo essencial de tomilho em sementes de milho sob armazenamento

Abstract

The storage period and the processes involved are of fundamental importance for preserving seed quality. Strategies for preserving quality include the use of products to manage insect pests, as these can be responsible for direct and indirect damage to seeds. In this scenario, sustainable technologies emerge, among which thyme essential oil (Thymus vulgaris) has demonstrated an effect on mortality and also on repelling insect pests. However, there are few scientific results that portray the effect of oil on the quality of the seed under storage. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the influence of thyme essential oil (Thymus vulgaris), in its natural (liquid) and microencapsulated form, at doses 0.0; 0.5; 1.0; 1.5 and 3.0 L t-1, during 0, 50 and 100 days of storage, regarding the qualitative characteristics of the stored corn seeds. The experiment was developed in 2023, at UFFS - Campus Chapecó. The Pixurum Creole corn variety was used, which was stored in the laboratory, in non-airtight containers. The essential oil used was obtained from a commercial brand, and microencapsulation was subsequently carried out. At the end, the experimental data were subjected to analysis of variance, using the F test (p≤0.05), and the Tukey mean comparison test (p≤0.05), in the RStudio program. The results demonstrated that the microencapsulated form of application presented lower qualitative losses in the seeds than the natural one. Furthermore, it was observed that, generally, as the doses of essential oil increased, regardless of the storage time, the percentage of seed germination was reduced, making it ideal to work, at most, with doses of up to 1.0 L t- 1.