Interference of mechanical damage on the physiological performance of corn seeds

Abstract

Corn (Zea mays L.) is cultivated and consumed globally due to its nutritional qualities and short production cycle. However, during harvesting, processing, transportation, and storage, seeds are susceptible to various types of damage that can compromise their productive capacity, affecting both germination and plant vigor. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of corn seeds subjected to different types of mechanical damage. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Storage and Processing of Agricultural Products at the Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Corn seeds were subjected to four types of mechanical damage: hammering, cutting, abrasion, and perforation, alongside a control sample that did not undergo any mechanical damage. Each treatment (mechanical damage) consisted of 200 seeds, which were evaluated through germination tests, including first count, germination rate, germination speed index (GSI), seedling dry weight, and root length. The experiment was conducted in Completely Randomized Design. Data were subjected to Analysis of Variance, and means were compared using the Scott-Knott test (P ≤ 0.05) when necessary. Mechanical damage reduces the germination and vigor of corn seeds. Cutting-type damage affects corn seeds more severely, reducing germination by an average of 80% and impairing vigor.