Reduction of germination of black bean (Phaseoulus vulgaris l.) under cold and environmental storage

Abstract

Germination is an important characteristic for all crops, having seeds with high germination percentages and without abnormalities during establishment allows for successful crops, however, the seed for the establishment of the next crop cycle must be stored. Storage characteristics will contribute in maintaining or decreasing seed quality. Twelve black bean varieties were conditioned, the weight of 100 seeds was determined and they were stored under two conditions (ambient and refrigerated) for 18 months, in which samples were taken at the beginning, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months to evaluate the percentage of germination and abnormal seedlings. During storage, germination decreased and abnormal seedlings increased. Differences were identified among the varieties of which Comapa tolerated storage under tropical conditions with only 16.5 percentage points of reduction while the Veracruz and Exp. 2 varieties recorded reductions of 50.5 and 40 percentage points, respectively. Storage conditions are essential to maintain seed quality, it is important to select seeds that tolerate local storage conditions that allow the establishment of the following agricultural cycle.