Biochemical behavior of bean seeds and grains during storage

Abstract

The development of researches about vigor provides greater insight about the physiological behavior of seeds over storage periods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical changes which occurred in beans stored for 360 days. Analyses were performed at 0, 30, 90, 180, 270, and 360 days after receiving the seeds (S1 and S2) and grains (G1 and G2) of BRS Splendor. The following tests were conducted: water content, electrical conductivity, and chemical composition of the soaking solution, where sugars and ions Fe²⁺, Zn, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺ were quantified. The experimental design was completely randomized split-plot and means were compared through Tukey test (p>0.05). Water content decreased after 90 days, and after 180 days reached an average of 16%. The electrical conductivity showed the greatest loss of solute after 90 days. Larger amounts of soluble sugars were found in S1 and G1. The quantities of potassium and calcium decreased after 360 days, while magnesium increased after 90 days of storage. The electrical conductivity test showed no direct relation to the quantification of the investigated ions. The amount and behavior of amino acids and studied ions did not showed relation to the decrease in vigor of beans.