Desiccation tolerance acquisition is a phenomenon which may occur during the development of seeds of several species, but it has been little investigated for coffee seeds. The present research was carried out to ascertain at which stage of coffee seed development tolerance to desiccation is acquired. Seeds of Coffea arabica cultivar Acaiá Cerrado harvested at three maturation stages, green, yellow and reddish were used. Part of the seeds was dried in forced air, under constant temperature of 30ºC until the seed moisture content reached 15%. Then the seeds were stored in hermetic containers in a cool chamber at 10ºC and 50% relative humidity. The evaluation was made after zero, 3, 6 and 9 months of storage, looking at moisture content, physiological conditions through the germination test, radical protrusion, percentage of secondary roots, emergence in growth room, emergence speed index. According to the results it was possible to conclude that coffee seeds present an increased desiccation tolerance as they reach later development stages. Seeds harvested at the green and yellow stages presented a decline in the production of secondary roots and percentage of seedling emergence. Drying seeds to 15% moisture content provided conditions to keep physiological quality throughout 9 months storage at 10ºC and 50% relative humidity. Non dried seeds (50% moisture content) presented a linear reduction in the physiological quality when stored at 10ºC, 50% relative humidity in hermetic containers.
coffee; seed; desiccation tolerance; maturation; drying; storage
