Qualidade de sementes crioulas de Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. tratadas com produtos naturais e armazenadas.

Abstract

Seed storage is a challenge for family farmers. Searching for strategies that maintain the quality of seeds throughout storage is importance to avoid economical losses to the farmer. The aim of the present study was to analyze the physiological and health quality of V. unguiculata traditional seeds treated with vegetable powders and stored. The seeds were stored in one-liter plastic bottles containing powder from cumaru (Amburana cearensis Freire Allemão) AC Smith.), eucalyptus leaves (Eucalyptus sp.), orange cloves bark (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in the rates of 25, 50, 75 and 100 g L-1

, been the seeds without treatment and Captan®

fungicide (240 g 100 kg-1 ) considered as the controls. The variables analyzed were moisture content, weight of a thousand seeds, germination and seed germination speed index, emergence and seedling emergence speed index; viability, vigor and damage by the tetrazolium test; and fungus incidence. The results showed that the physiological quality of the stored V. unguiculata seeds was maintained in the appropriate standard with the use of powders, however, the seeds without treatment also maintained the physiological quality during storage. The powders of black pepper, eucalyptus and cumaru, in the rate of 100 g L-1

, conferred the best effect on the vigor of the seeds by the tetrazolium test. The fungus species identified in the seeds did not compromise viability during storage. Powder from eucalyptus leaves, orange peels and black pepper inhibit fungi, being more efficient at higher rates. There was a reduction in the incidence of fungi in the last period (360 days) of storage regardless of the use of treated seeds.