Mechanical Damages and Chemical Treatments in the Quality of Maize Seeds Stored

Abstract

The current system of seeds production is highly mechanized and these operations can contribute to losses in quality due the incidence of mechanical damages. The objective in this work was to study the effect of the chemical treatment and the storage on quality of maize seeds with mechanical damages. The seeds used were individually analyzed through X-ray test for the obtainment of three lots; 1-seeds without separation, 2-seeds without mechanical damages and 3-seeds with mechanical damages. The lots were evaluated according the physiological quality, sanity and enzymatic analyzes before and after the chemical treatment with the insecticide Maxim Advanced® and the fungicide Cruiser® and also after 90 days of storage. The chemical treatment of maize seeds is efficient in the control of pathogens, like Fusarium sp. The performance of seeds with internal and external damages can be maintained for 90 days when treated with fungicides and insecticides and stored in environment conditions. The isoenzymatic patterns of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), confirmed the higher deterioration of non-treated seeds during the storage. The mechanical damages found in seeds contribute to the reduction of viability and vigor of maize seeds.