Abstract
The sesame fruits present differences on maturity due to their position on the plant stem. Thus, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the physiological quality of sesame seeds from three fruits locations on the plant stem (lower, middle and upper thirds) due to fertilizing with cattle manure (0, 20, 40 and 60 t.ha-1). We evaluated the germination percentage, first germination count, germination speed index, average germination time, accelerated-aged seeds germination and electrical conductivity of seeds. In addition, to evaluate seedling establishment we observed emergence percentage, emergence speed index, and average emergence time, as well as length and dry mass of seedlings. The experimental arrange used was entirely randomized in a factorial scheme (3×4) with four repetitions, and means were compared through the Tukey test at 5% probability. The fruits position on the plant stem influenced the sesame seeds quality. The yellowish green fruits from middle third of stem, as well as yellowish ones from lower third of stem showed best results for most variables evaluated. Seed vigor was positively influenced by cattle manure application in the soil; however, fertilizing did not have any effect on seeds germination. Key words: Sesamum indicum L., germination, organic agriculture, seed maturation, seeds vigor.
Highlights
The sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), belongs to Pedaliaceae family
The sesame seeds were obtained from plants cultivated from July to October of 2014 at Crop Science Department in Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
Plants were fertilized with cattle manure spread in 10 cm depth furrows at 0; 20; 40 and 60 t.ha-1 doses
Summary
The sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), belongs to Pedaliaceae family. The crop inserts itself in both conventional cultivation systems and in agroecological production system. Due to its drought tolerance and ease of cultivation, this crop presents high potential to be grown in succession, rotation and intercropping with other ones. On the last years sesame has drawn interest from farmers who seek alternatives to diversify agricultural activities and from costumers who look for high nutritional value products. It is a plant that grows in diverse types of soils, regions and environment conditions. To a satisfactory performance it is necessary to provide good
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