PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES OF SAVED COWPEA SEEDS USED IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID REGION

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the physical and physiological attributes of saved cowpea seeds (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) used in the Brazilian semi-arid area and compared them with certified seed varieties. The study tested 37 saved seed samples from the state of Rio Grande do Norte and two varieties of certified seeds (“BRS Guariba” and “BRS Pujante”) from the production field of Embrapa Products and Market, Petrolina, PE, Brazil. The seeds were tested for moisture, hectoliter weight, weight of 1,000 seeds, and physical purity to evaluate the physical quality. Germination, first germination count, field emergence, emergence rate index, shoot dry mass, and accelerated aging were tested for physiological quality. The saved cowpea seeds showed great differences, suggesting the influence of genetic variability and different growing environments. The use of saved cowpea seeds by small farmers in the semi-arid areas of Northeastern Brazil is impractical, because these seeds have inferior physical and physiological qualities compared to certified cowpea seeds.