Quality of Stylosanthes Campo Grande seeds coated with different materials

ABSTRACT The seed coating technique adds value to the seeds. This technique allows changing the seed size and shape, facilitating sowing, and also the application of essential nutrients to the good development of the plant in the post-germination phases. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the physical and physiological characteristics of Stylosanthes capitata/macrocephala coated with different materials. For the coating procedure, a N10 Newpack bench seed coating machine was used. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications and 50 seeds per plot distributed in 10 treatments. The different materials and their respective mixtures significantly altered the physical characteristics, the weight of a thousand seeds (WTS), water content (SWC), maximum diameter (DMA), and minimum diameter (DMI) of the seeds. Among the different materials, the sand coated seeds had the highest germination percentage (%G), germination velocity index (GSI), and first germination count (FGC). The maintenance of physiological attributes was observed in sand coated seeds (0.25 mm). Therefore, it is an alternative application of nutrients via seeds, due to the inert character of the sand. The mixing of the materials used in this work is not recommended.摘要 种子包衣技术可提升种子附加值。该技术可调控种子尺寸与形态，便于播种作业，同时可施加必需营养物质，助力植株在发芽后阶段的良好生长。本研究旨在评估经不同包衣材料包衣的头柱花草/巨叶柱花草（Stylosanthes capitata/macrocephala）的物理与生理特性。包衣操作采用N10 Newpack型台式种子包衣机完成。实验采用完全随机设计，设置4次重复，每小区50粒种子，共分为10个处理组。不同包衣材料及其混合物可显著改变种子的物理特性、千粒重（weight of a thousand seeds, WTS）、种子含水量（seed water content, SWC）、最大直径（maximum diameter, DMA）与最小直径（minimum diameter, DMI）。在各类包衣材料中，沙子包衣的种子表现出最高的发芽率（germination percentage, %G）、发芽速度指数（germination velocity index, GSI）与初次发芽计数（first germination count, FGC）。粒径为0.25 mm的沙子包衣种子可维持其生理特性。鉴于沙子的惰性特质，通过种子施加营养物质是一种可行的替代方案。本研究中所采用的材料混合方式不建议推广应用。