Responses of corn seeds with different levels of vigor to water availability

Abstract

An investigation was carried out under laboratory and field conditions in order to study the relationship between corn (Zea mays L.) seed performance and water availability. Physiological quality of seeds from 60 lots, cultivar AG 303, yields of 1989/90, 1990/91 and 1991/92, were evaluated in laboratory using the standard germination test, the cold test with soil and germination test with hydric stress of -3 atm (PEG 6000). Under field conditions seed lots were exposed to four hydric potentials: -0.1, -0.5, -15 and less than -15 atm, in order to evaluate field emergence. Corn seeds with high vigor presented the highest performance under water deficit condition. Soil hydric potential of -0.5 atm allows a higher corn seed emergence. Cold test and the germination test with hydric stress of -3 atm can be used to estimate behavior of seed lots under adverse conditions of water availability in the soil.