Germination and vigor of buffel grass seeds stored in environmental conditions

Abstract

One of the main limitations for the cultivation of forages refers to seed dormancy, which can compromise the emergence of seedlings in the field and the establishment of pastures. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the germination and vigor of buffel grass seeds cv. Aridus stored under environmental conditions. The experimental design used was completely randomized, with six evaluation periods (0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after harvest) and four replications. Right after the harvest, and at each evaluation period, the seeds were evaluated for water content, germination and vigor. The water content of the seeds did not differ. There were increases in the percentage of seed germination from the initial evaluation period up to 17.96 months, reaching an estimated maximum value of 62.74%. The buffel grass seeds showed progressive increases in seedling emergence and in the emergence speed index (IVE) evaluated over the storage time. It is recommended that pastures of buffel grass cv. Aridus are formed using seeds stored between 13.97 to 18.98 months under environmental conditions, as they present greater germination and vigor.