Seeds quality of conventional and Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans produced for own and commercial consumption

Abstract

The guarantee of seeds with high vigor and good quality is the most important characteristic for the success in soybean cropping. Seeds with low vigor may show some difficulty on germination and field emergence, mainly under adverse conditions, such as moisture deficiency or low temperatures. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating the physiological potential of Roundup Ready (RR) and conventional soybean seeds, 'saved' by a farmer as well as commercial seeds. Nevertheless, some farmers, in an attempt to reduce production costs, have already separated cropped grains produced to be used as seeds and it has been increasingly common. So, this trial aimed at evaluating the physiological potential of Roundup Ready soybean seeds with conventional seeds, and compare the 'saved' seeds, produced by a farmer with commercial seeds. The seeds were characterized in the laboratory (purity, mass of thousand seeds and moisture content). Vigor (accelerated aging, cold test and electrical conductivity test), germination test, emergence on sand, emergence speed index, seedling growth, roots and shoots length of seedlings as well as fresh and dry matter were determined. It was possible to identify that the commercial seeds showed higher purity when compared to the saved ones. Plots of conventional cultivars showed higher physiological potential, and there was no difference concerning the vigor between the saved seeds and commercial ones.