This study investigates the immediate and latent effects of high drying-air temperatures on the physiological quality of Golden papaya seeds. Thin-layer convective drying tests were conducted employing two levels of drying-air temperature, 50 and 58ºC, and a single level of dry-airflow rate, 1.00kg s-1 m-2. Upon removal from the dryer, seeds were hermetically stored at 15ºC for 90 and 180 days. High drying-air temperatures had an immediate deleterious effect on seed vigour. Analysis of the latent effects revealed that best vigour results were obtained for seeds dried at 58ºC and stored for 180 days at 15ºC. Germination percentage immediately after drying was reduced for seeds dried at 50ºC only. Germination of the seeds submitted to other treatments was not affected by drying-air temperature or storage period, when compared to the values obtained for fresh seeds.
seed drying; seed storage; physiological quality
