Germination and validation of canola seeds after storage

Abstract

Despite the economic potential that canola (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) has, as the variables related to the evaluation of the protein quality of this culture are still scarce. The objective was to evaluate the germination and vigor of two canola cultivars, Hyola 61 and Hyola 571 CL, stored for 120 days at 4 ÂoC. After 0, 60 and 120 days of storage the grain quality was evaluated by means of tests of germination, seedling length and emergence velocity index (EVI) on sand substrate. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in factorial 2x3 (cultivars x storage parts) with four replicates. The data were submited to variance analysis and the means were compared by the Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05). Germination, seedling length and emergency velocity index (EVI) tests are useful for estimating the period in which the seeds begin to lose their viability. Germination and vigor of canola seeds, regardless of cultivar, decreased throughout storage.