The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and physiological quality of sunflower seeds from different regions of the flowering head and from plants originating from high and low vigor seeds subjected to intra-specific competition. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four repetitions with treatments distributed in split plots. In the plots, five proportions of high vigor seeds sown in furrows were evaluated, whereas in the sub-plots, evaluations were made of the plants originating from high or low vigor seeds and two additional treatments. The relationship between the proportions of high vigor seeds and their position in the flowering heads was evaluated. The percentage of proteins, lipids, total carbohydrates, ashes, moisture content, weight of a thousand seeds and emergence parameters (beginning, middle and final times, mean emergence velocity, uncertainty, synchronicity, coefficients of variation of time and emergence), obtained from the emergence test in sand, were determined. The results indicated that: the proportion of seed vigor in the furrow interferes in plant performance and the resulting seed quality; the chemical composition of the seeds depended on seed position in the flowering head; the position of the seed in the head affected the germination variables.
seed vigor; seedling emergency; third of head; Helianthus annuus L
