Análises de sementes de milho e sua melhor relação com o período e condições de armazenamento

Corn is the most produced cereal in the world, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Corn is currently grown in all micro-regions of Brazil, which is now considered the third largest producer of cereal in the world. The maintenance of seed viability is one of the factors that must be considered within the production system. The storage conditions have a direct influence on the maintenance of seed quality. When seeds are not kept under controlled conditions of humidity and temperature, there is a decrease in the metabolic processes, also decreasing the loss of germinative capacity and vigor. In this context, the main objective of this work was to analyze corn seeds and their best relation with the conditions of time and storage. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais - Bambuí Campus, in a randomized block design, with two treatments and four replications, the treatments were time and storage location. Two storage locations, cold room and ambient temperature, and four storage periods at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 38 days of storage were evaluated. The analyzed variables were normal seedlings, abnormal seedlings, hard seeds and dormant seeds. The results showed that, according to the methodology adopted, there was no direct relationship between time and storage location, storage time had no influence on seed viability. In addition, it was observed that seeds stored in cold rooms had a higher rate of germination, but presented a minimal difference in the means.