The establishment of patterns for the evaluation of canola physiological seed quality is extremely useful for obtaining a good stand in the field. Thus, with the objective of comparing the efficiency of different tests for the evaluation of canola physiological seed quality and to verify their relationships with seedling emergence in the field, four seed lots of canola were evaluated by the standard germination test, first count germination, electrical conductivity, accelerated aging, modified cold test, seedling emergence on sand seedbed, speed of emergence seedbed and speed of emergence-index in sand, seedling emergence in field, weight of a thousand seeds and the health test. Among the tests carried out in the laboratory, the germination test and first counting of the germination, electrical conductivity and accelerated aging are considered the most efficient to differentiate field emergence performance of canola seed lots. The speed of emergence-index and the speed of emergence in sand seedbed are not suitable to evaluate canola seed quality.
Brassica napus; health; aging; vigor; germination
