Tratamento químico, armazenamento e condicionamento fisiológico de sementes de café (Coffea arabica L.)

Abstract

The low longevity of the seeds of Coffea spp. is a limiting factor for seedling production in favorable times. The low conservation of these seeds is related to desiccation sensitivity, that is, they tolerate partial loss of water throughout drying and do not tolerate storage for prolonged periods. Care during drying and the water content of coffee seeds are primordial factors in the maintenance of seed quality, as these may influence the proper conservation of the physiological potential during storage. Another important factor for maintaining the quality of coffee seeds is related to sanitary quality. The lack of chemical products for seed treatment registered in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply for coffee cultivation makes it difficult for them to be used in the nursery because these products reduce the incidence of pathogens during storage, as well as during the production of seedlings. In addition, in order to guarantee the germination potential of Coffea spp. seeds, research has been done aiming to increase the rate of germination as well as the percentage of germination of these seeds using the physiological conditioning technique. However, this work was carried out with the objective of increasing knowledge about physiological, biochemical, and sanitary changes in Coffea arabica seeds. In this context, three studies were performed. In the first work, the effect of the water content on the longevity of coffee seeds was evaluated. In the second study, the effect of the chemical treatment on the physiological and sanitary quality of the stored seeds was evaluated. And, in a third study, the influence of physiological conditioning (priming) on the physiological quality and vigor of stored coffee seeds with different water contents was evaluated. For seeds of C. arabica, regardless of the cultivar, the storage of moist seeds provides better maintenance of the physiological quality for up to nine months and there is also a reduction in the vigor of the seedlings throughout the storage period, independently of the water content of the seeds. The use of the chemical treatment with the product Vitavax® Thiram does not affect the physiological quality of the stored Coffea arabica seeds. There is a reduction in the incidence of Fusarium spp. and Phoma spp. in treated and stored coffee seeds. The wet seeds submitted to the physiological conditioning technique maintain the physiological quality after nine months of storage. Physiological conditioning improves seed vigor, especially on medium quality lots. In dry seeds, the use of the physiological conditioning technique is prejudicial during the nine-month period.