Physiological quality of Creole castor seeds var. Carrapatinho depending on the raceme position

Abstract

The castor culture (Ricinus communis L.) is one of the most important crops for the semi-arid region of Brazil. Cultivation mainly relies on landraces, without breeding and low physiological quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological quality of Creole castor seeds var. Carrapatinho depending on the position of the raceme. The experiment was conducted at the State University of Southwest Bahia. The statistical analysis included a completely randomized design in a 2x3 factorial, corresponding to 2 morphological situations of castor seeds (presence and absence of wattle) from the racemes located in 3 different branches of the plant (primary branch, secondary and tertiary). Data were collected in laboratory conditions and in a greenhouse. At the end of the experiment the data were submitted to variance homogeneity and normality tests, and the averages were compared by Tukey test at 5%. It was concluded that the quality of Creole seeds variety Carrapatinho was affected by the racemes position in the plant, and that removal of caruncles positively affected most of the characteristics evaluated in the physiological quality tests on seeds, especially the electric conductivity.