Vigor tests in seeds creole of Phaseolus lunatus L.

Abstract

Seeds with a good physiological quality are essential to high productivity. However, for some seeds, Phaseolus lunatus L., the viability and vigor analyze show deficiency in quality. This work aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of Phaseolus lunatus L. seeds using several vigor tests. The study was realized at the Laboratory of Seed Analysis of the Agricultural Sciences Center of the Federal University of Paraíba, in Areia – PB, Brazil. We used seeds from five cultivars of P. lunatus (Branca, Orelha de Vó, Cearense, Rosinha, and Roxinha). To determine the physiological quality, we measured the water content, the viability and vigor test (germination, emergence, electrical conductivity, tetrazolium, first germination count and emergence, seedling length and dry mass). We used a completely randomized design for seeds evaluation, and the field test was performed in randomized blocks. The water content of P. lunatus did not differ among the cultivars, indicating a uniformity in the percentage of moisture. Also, the percentage and speed of emergency and the dry mass of seedlings did not differ among the varieties. The tetrazolium and electrical conductivity tests indicated that Rosinha cultivar had the worst viability concerning the other cultivars, showing a low percentage of living tissue and lower electrical conductivity. The seeds of Roxinha cultivar had the better physiological quality, and the Cearense cultivar had the worst quality evaluation. We recommend the tetrazolium test but not the electrical conductivity test to evaluate the vigor of P. lunatus.