Harvesting delay in physiological quality of soy seeds

Soybeans are a grain-producing species of high international demand and occupy a prominent position in the Brazilian economy. The success of this crop in Brazil is due to public and private investments in production technologies and to breeding programs. It is through the seed that the genetic advances reach the producer. In this context, the success of a cultivar and high productivity depend on the quality of the seed. In view of the above, the objectives of the study were to evaluate the physiological quality of soybean cultivar seeds at different harvesting times. The experiment was conducted in an experimental area located at Fazenda Capim Branco, belonging to the Federal University of Uberlândia, in the 2016/2017 harvest. Ten soybean cultivars were evaluated (CD 2737 RR, UFUS 7415, UFUS 7910, UFUS Milionária, UFUS 7801, NA 5909 RG, UFUS 8301, TMG 7062 IPRO, UFUS Xavante and UFUS 6901) at four harvest times (R7, R8, R8+15, R8+30), constituting a 10 x 4 factorial. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. For the evaluation of the physiological quality, germination, electrical conductivity and fresh matter and dry matter of seedlings tests were performed. In all tests the physiological quality of the seeds decreased with the harvest delay. Emphasis was placed on the cultivar NA 5909 RG, which showed the best means to delay the harvest in 15 and 30 days.