Abstract
Harvest of maize seeds with high moisture levels has been recommended; nevertheless, after harvest, the ears undergo the process of husking and there is a need to assess the compatibility of these processes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of mechanical husking on the quality of maize seeds collected at high moisture levels. Dent BM 3061 hybrid maize seeds, manually collected from the ear, with moisture contents of 45%, 40% and 35%, and a 20/64 round sieve were used. The ears were mechanically husked (CWA machine, 312 rpm), dried in a stationary drier at 35 ⁰C until reaching 22% moisture, followed by drying at 42 ºC until reaching 12%. Then, they underwent shelling, followed by a chemical treatment with Maxin® + K-obiol® + Actellic®. Seed quality was assessed according to the occurrence tests of mechanical damage, first count, germination, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, average emergence time, electrical conductivity, accelerated aging, cold test, and seed health test at every quarter for 9 months. The mechanical husking affects maize seed quality, depending on the degree of seed moisture at harvest and on the material studied. This hybrid's seeds can be collected with seed moisture levels at 40% with the use of mechanical husking.
Highlights
The maize (Zea mays L.) is a plant of great importance to Brazil
The interaction of the factors moisture content at harvest and storage period was significant for the parameters first count, electrical conductivity, and occurrence of the fungus Penicillium sp., for which there was an interaction between moisture content at harvest and seed treatment (U x T) and seed treatment and storage period (T x E)
For the parameters accelerated aging, cold test and occurrence of Fusarium sp. and Aspergillus sp., it was observed a triple interaction of factors moisture content at harvest, seed treatment and storage period (UxTxE)
Summary
The maize (Zea mays L.) is a plant of great importance to Brazil. In the 2012 harvest, about 73 million tons of grain were produced, with growing area of 15.4 million hectares and an average yield of 4.4 t.ha-1, which represents an increase of 18% compared to previous crop (Conab, 2012). To increasingly reach larger productions, it is extremely important to use good quality seed, and in order to do so, the monitoring of seed moisture content, maximum dry matter accumulation, and appearance of black layer are important aspects. An option for early harvest is harvesting seeds from the ear, without removing the peel and cob. This will extend the harvest period, as well as reduce the risk of seeds being contaminated by diseases of late season. The harvesting of the maize seed from the ear was carried out for many years with moisture content a little lower 35%, as soon as they reached physiological maturity, followed by artificial drying. Studies have shown that the maximum values of germination and vigor can occur when seeds have high moisture content, even before they have reached physiological maturity. Ajayi and Fakorede (2000) have found that maize seeds harvested before full maturity, regardless of dry weight, germinate faster than those harvested at full maturity
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