The velvet bean (Mucuna aterrima (Piper et Tracy) Holland) is a legume utilized for green manure and as forage. Its seeds have dormancy caused by a seed coat that is impermeable to water. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dormancy degree of the velvet bean seeds during maturation when dried in intact pods. Racemes were harvested, weekly, beginning 35 days after labeling, at the start of flowering (35 DAF), and ending at the dry pod stage (98 DAF). The seeds of each harvest time were dried in intact pods at not controlled laboratory environment conditions; when dried, the seeds were extracted from the pods and the weight of 100 seeds and the seed thickness were evaluated and then submitted to the germination test. The percentages of hard seeds, germination, imbibed seeds and the imbibition rate were analyzed. We concluded that the maturation stage that seeds are dried at affects the dormancy degree of velvet bean seeds.
Mucuna aterrima; seed coat permeability; seed imbibitions; hard seeds
