Abstract An extraordinary moment of agricultural modernization is currently underway due to innovations in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In this process, management precepts are renewed, fostering significant gains in efficiency, productivity, and sustainable use of natural resources and the environment. The growing supply of ICTs and the extension of connectivity in rural areas, with their transforming roles in productive practices and economic relations, bring about questions regarding their impacts. These technologies include precision positioning systems and large volume databases, electronic sensors of site-specific production and environmental conditions, repositories of relational data, statistical and crop forecasting software, methodologies and processes; web-based information services, among others. The assessment of impacts focused on ICTs for agriculture needs innovative approaches, due to the peculiarities of their applications, the different scales of their socioenvironmental scopes and, at the same time, the verification of effectiveness of institutional investments on research, development, and innovation (RD&I). Based on these premises, the objectives of this work are to present a ‘module of impact indicators for Information and Communication Technologies (Ambitec-TICs)’, and assess its application to six typical technology adoption cases resulting from agricultural RD&I projects. The results detail critical analyses of the contributions of the proposed module for the registration, interpretation, and communication of impacts, with recommendations for technology transfer and accountability in institutional Social Balance documentation.

O trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver metodologia apropriada para o uso do teste de tetrazólio em sementes de abobrinha, visando determinar a viabilidade e o vigor. Os seguintes procedimentos foram avaliados: umedecimento das sementes em papel toalha por 16 e 24h, a 25ºC; imersão direta em água, em câmara BOD, a 40ºC, por 15, 30 e 60 minutos para a remoção do tegumento e por mais 30 e 60 minutos para retirada da membrana que envolve o embrião. Os embriões foram então imersos em solução de tetrazólio a 0,05 e 0,075% por 30, 60 e 90 minutos, em câmara BOD, a 40ºC, para coloração. Paralelamente, foram conduzidos testes de germinação e vigor, estabelecendo-se cinco classes de viabilidade e vigor. A metodologia desenvolvida foi aplicada a oito lotes, sendo aferida com os resultados dos testes de germinação, envelhecimento acelerado e emergência de plântulas em areia. O teste de tetrazólio mostrou-se eficiente para avaliar a viabilidade e o vigor das sementes de abobrinha. O método de pré-condicionamento mais eficiente foi imersão direta em água, a 40ºC, por 30 minutos para a remoção do tegumento e por mais 30 minutos para a retirada da membrana interna. A coloração ideal dos embriões foi obtida após 60 minutos de imersão em solução de tetrazólio a 0,05 ou 0,075% a 40ºC.

The objective of this research was to develop an appropriate tetrazolium methodology for viability and vigor evaluation of squash seeds. The following procedures were tested for pre-conditioning of the seeds: moistening in wet paper towel for 16 to 24h at 25ºC; immersion in water for 15, 30 and 60 minutes at 40ºC for tegument removal, and for 30 and 60 minutes for removal of the embryo surrounding internal membrane. The embryos were then immersed for 30, 60 and 90 minutes in 0.05 and 0.075% tetrazolium solution, at 40ºC, for coloration. Each sample submitted to the tetrazolium test was also evaluated by the germination and seedling vigor tests and five viability and vigor classes were established . This procedure was applied to eight seed lots and the results were validated by the germination, accelerated aging and seedling emergence tests. The tetrazolium test was efficient in evaluating squash seed viability and vigor. The ideal procedure was seed immersion in water for 30 minutes at 40ºC, for removal of the tegument followed by a further 30 minutes in water for the internal membrane removal. The ideal coloration was obtained after 60 minutes immersion in a 0.05 or 0.075% tetrazolium solution at 40ºC.