Abstract
Farmer’s dominance depends on seed processing practices that allow seed longevity and sanity throughout storage. In organic systems, seeds cannot be exposed to chemical pesticides. Therefore, organic seed treatment must be conducted by applying techniques which do not contaminate seeds and that can provide physiological and sanitary quality, and also a safe storage. This work aimed to evaluate the physiological and sanitary quality of pumpkin seeds frozen at -18°C and cooled at 15°C, for 36 h and 7 days in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and in plastic bags with vacuum. Results showed that freezing seeds at -18°C for 36 h in PET bottle provided an increase in the first count of germination and seedling length reduction. The physiological and sanitary qualities of pumpkin seeds frozen at -18°C for 36 h in PET bottle and stored for up to six months under ambient conditions and in a cold chamber were also evaluated. Refrigerated storage provided increased seed viability as compared to ambient storage. In the sixth month of storage, a reduction of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium occurred in both environments. Key words: Freezing, package, storage, vigor, viability, organic seed treatment, Cucurbita moschata Dusch.  
Highlights
IntroductionSeeds play an important role in ensuring farmers' sovereignty and independence of external inputs
In organic systems, seeds play an important role in ensuring farmers' sovereignty and independence of external inputs
This study aims to evaluate the effects of seed freezing and cooling on its vigor, viability, sanity and storage up to six months in different ambients
Summary
Seeds play an important role in ensuring farmers' sovereignty and independence of external inputs. In Brazil, organic standards allow organic farmers to use conventional seeds in their systems when organic seeds are not found in the market, as long as they are not treated with pesticides. There are a few companies producing organic seeds in Brazil and a few conventional companies have a collection of non-treated seeds for sale. Pumpkin is a plant of American origin, from the Cucurbitaceae family. Conventional systems pose a threat to the environment, leading to contamination of soil, water, air, plants, animals and humans (Yadav, 2010). Climate change can affect crop production and seed recruitment, increasing the need for adaptive and resilient cultivars (Mondoni et al, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
