The objective of the present study was to analyze the effect of chemcial treatment, with different concentrations of fungicide dilution, on rice seed physiological and sanitary quality, during a six-month period of hermetic storage. Rice seeds, cvs BR-IRGA 410, BRS PELOTA and EMBRAPA 7 TAIM, produced during the 2001/2002 crop year, were treated with Carboxin/Thiram fungicide, with dosage of 300mL.100kg of seeds. The fungicide dilution was 1.2 and 3% water mixed with fungicide. The seeds were stored in PV bottles ("pet" type) and placed inside polystyrene boxes, for 180 days. The seeds were submitted to moisture determination, standard germination, vigor (cold test) and health tests, at three times: in the pre-storage (immediately after the treatment), at 90 and 180 days after treatment. The results indicated that seed treatment with the Carboxin/Thiram fungicide resulted in higher germination percentage, when the evaluation was made immediately after the treatment and also resulted in the reduction of the main fungi associates on the rice seeds. The interaction between moisture content and fungicide increasedt the deterioration process of the seeds stored under air-tight environments and resulted in complete germination loss, in less than 180 days of storage, especially when seed moisture was above 15%. With air-tight storage, it is possible to store seeds up to 90 days with seed moisture content below 15% and up tol 180 days when the seeds are stored with less than 13% moisture content.
Oryza sativa; health; seed treatment; vigor
