The tetrazolium test (TZ) is a rapid alternative for evaluating seed viability and has been adopted for the commercialization of coffee seeds. One of the barriers to using this test is the difficulty of extracting the parchment, which requires time and specialized labor. The use of sodium hypochlorite has been recommended for parchment extraction in coffee seeds but this method has not been tested for the TZ. Coffee seeds of four lots of two varieties were submitted to four methods in the test: manual extraction or use of sodium hypochlorite (200 mL 5% NaClO) to remove the parchment and various periods for soaking seeds in water (36 to 48 hours), to remove the embryos. The results of the viability from the TZ were compared with those from the germination of seeds with different moisture contents. The use of 5% NaClO with 6 hours of soaking is not effective in removing the parchment and adversely affects the results of the TZ in coffee seeds with a moisture content below 25%. The imbibition period of coffee seeds in water for 48 hours in the preparation phase for the TZ, facilitates embryo extraction without affecting the test results.
sodium hypochlorite; Coffea arabica; imbibitions
