The present research evaluated the chemical treatment effect before the storage of soybean seeds on their physiological quality. Seeds from the cultivar BR-16, produced and stored in Marechal Cândido Rondon-PR, 1999/2000, were utilized. For treatment the mixture of carbendazin + thiram, at the dosage 30 and 70g of active ingredient/100kg-1 of seed, respectively, was utilized. Seeds were treated and analyzed monthly from May to December. Seeds without treatment represented the control. In December all the samples previously treated and stored were analyzed and compared with the seeds treated and analyzed at the sowing time (December). The seed quality was evaluated by the standard germination test, tetrazolium test for vigor and viability and field emergence. A completely randomized experimental design was employed, with four replications per treatment, for every test. The means were compared by the Tukey test at the probability level of 5%. The standard germination test and the tetrazolium test did not show negative effect of the previous chemical treatment on the quality of the seeds. But treated and non treated seeds presented decrease in viability and vigor, reaching a value inferior to 75%, in December. In the field emergence test, it was observed that the seeds that were treated for more than four months showed lower performance than the seeds that were treated for shorter periods.
Glycine max; seed conservation; viability; vigor
