The Use of the Generalized Linear Model to Assess the Speed and Uniformity of Germination of Corn and Soybean Seeds

Abstract

The use of seeds with high physiological quality allows rapid growth and establishment of seedlings in the field to be obtained. Therefore, the accuracy of the information obtained during the determination of the physiological quality of seeds is of great importance. The objective was to use generalized linear models, investigating which link function (Probit, Logit and Complementary log-log) is suitable to predict T50 and uniformity during germination of soybean and corn seeds. To perform the experiments, we used seeds from five commercial hybrids and/or cultivars of corn and soybean. The germination speed was calculated by counting the germinated seeds and the results were expressed in the form of proportions. Germination uniformity was calculated by the difference in the times required for germination. The best model was selected according to the criteria of the test of Deviance, AIC and BIC. The Logit model showed accurate results for most cultivars. The evaluation of germination in the form of proportions considering the assumption of binomial response is satisfactory, and the choice of the link function is dependent on the characteristics of each lot and/or species evaluated. The use of this methodology makes it possible to estimate any germination time and uniformity.