Electrical conductivity test for evaluation of the pea seed vigor

Abstract

The electrical conductivity test is routinely used to differentiate the physiological quality of seed lots, and has stood out for its ease of execution, low cost, speed, repeatability, and straightforward interpretation of results. This study aimed to establish a methodology for the electrical conductivity test in pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.) involving seed quantity and seed imbibition periods. The experiment was carried out at the Multidisciplinary Laboratory of the State University of Goiás, the campus of Ipameri Campus, in 2018. Pea seeds (Pisum sativum) stored in the seed laboratory of the same institution were used for this experiment. The completely randomized experimental design with four replications in a 4x6 factorial scheme was used. Four quantity of seeds (25, 50, 75, and 100 seeds) and six imbibition periods (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h) at 25ºC were evaluated. The electrical conductivity test was performed with four replicates of 25, 50, 75, and 100 seeds each, weighed on a precision scale (0.001g) and placed in disposable plastic cups, with a capacity of 200 mL, containing 75 mL of distilled water. The cups were then kept in a BOD chamber, set at 25°C, and the measuring was performed after 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h of imbibition with a conductivity meter and results were expressed in μS cm-1 g-1. There were no significant results for the interaction between the number of seeds and the imbibition time. Significant results were observed only for the individual effects of each factor. It is recommended to use 100 seeds of Maria pea, and 24 h for the electrical conductivity test.