Seed production fields of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) are subject to various factors that influence the final seed quality but which do not always act uniformly. The objective of the present study was to determine the spatial variability of the productivity and quality of soybean seeds in a production field using precision farming. Seeds were collected following a grid of one point per hectare, georeferenced, with four sub-samples, totaling a harvested area of 16 m² per point, which were used to estimate productivity after being weighed. Seed sizes were determined by the retention test in sieve sizes of 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5 mm and seed physiological quality from germination, first count, accelerated aging and emergence tests. The data showed a coefficient of variation of 9.66% for yield, 8.46% for germination, 13.24% for first count, 19.01% for accelerated aging and 6.93% for emergence. Spatial dependence was observed for the variables, being 300 m for yield, 700 m for germination and first count, 400 m for accelerated aging and 200 m for emergence. Like productivity, seed physiological quality in a production field is not uniform, but these variables can be estimated on maps by interpolating homogeneous points. The variability represented by interpolation maps is a seed quality management tool that allows areas to be harvested or discarded within a production field.
seed production; precision agriculture; germination vigor
