Accelerated aging test and occurrence of fungi in two soybean cultivars

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the pathogens control in seeds of two soybean cultivars by the accelerated aging test. The experiment was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Crops Production and Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Agricultural Zoology (USP-ESALQ), both from the Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo in Piracicaba, SP. For this we used seeds of two soybean cultivars (Embrapa 48 and FTS Águia). Seeds were harvested manually and mechanically, with 18%, 15% and 12% water and, immediately after harvest, evaluated for water content. After drying, the quality of the seeds was determined by germination test, seedling emergence, accelerated aging and health test. The incidence of pathogens in soybean seeds reduced in cultivar Embrapa 48 and FTS Águia, depending on the conditions of relative humidity and air temperature that were used in the accelerated aging test, especially for the seeds of cultivar FTS Águia.