Qualidade de sementes de feijão em função da umidade de colheita e da temperatura de secagem

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the seed quality of the black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) collected with different water contents and subjected to different temperatures of the drying air. For this purpose, three hervests were conducted in different water contents, 35.2, 25.2 and 16.6%, and a control that remained in the field, being harvested with 13% of water content. Seeds obtained from each harvest were subjected to the drying air at the temperatures of 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 ° C in an oven with forced air circulation until they reach approximately 12% of water content. Thereafter the seeds were submitted to the following physical and physiological tests: determination of seed moisture content, weight of a thousand seeds, hectolitre weight, electrical conductivity, germination, first count, germination speed index, accelerated aging, seedling length and the transfer of dry mass. The harvest nearest to the physiological maturity of the crop provided better quality of seeds compared to the subsequent harvests. Increasing the drying temperature, especially above 40 °C detracted the quality of the seeds, both physical and physiological.