Vigor and anaerobic metabolism of soybean seeds evaluated by ethanol test

• Published in: Journal of seed science 2023-01, Vol.45
• Main Authors: Cavalcante, Jerffeson Araujo, Gadotti, Gizele Ingrid, Pinheiro, Romário de Mesquita, Silva, Raimunda Nonata Oliveira da, Oliveira, Fabiane Kletke de, Moraes, Dario Munt de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: fermentation pathway; Glycine max L; physiological quality; PLANT SCIENCES
• ISSN: 2317-1537; 2317-1545; 2317-1545
• DOI: 10.1590/2317-1545v45263825

Among the vigor tests, ethanol is an alternative that provides desirable characteristics to be applied in seed-producing companies internal quality control planning. The aim was to evaluate the vigor of soybean seeds by the ethanol test and the fermentative metabolism after its application. A completely randomized experimental design with five replications was used, with treatments consisting of 10 lots of soybean seeds, except for the variables composing the fermentative metabolism, for which five lots of soybean seeds were used. First, the initial quality of the lots was assessed by evaluating water content, germination, seedling emergence, accelerated aging, tetrazolium test (vigor), electrical conductivity, and seed respiration. For the ethanol test, the seeds were subjected to soaking times of 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes until the moment of reading, and subsequently, the fermentative metabolism was evaluated (lactate dehydrogenase - LDH, pyruvate decarboxylase - PDC, and alcohol dehydrogenase - ADH). The ethanol test in soybean seeds efficiently ranks lots into different levels of vigor, using the soaking time of 30 minutes, showing a moderate association between the electrical conductivity test and seed respiration. Furthermore, the activity of the enzymes LDH, PDC, and ADH proves that ethanol is produced during the soaking process of soybean seeds. Resumo: Dentre os testes de vigor, o do etanol constitui-se como uma alternativa que aporta característica desejáveis para ser aplicado nos planejamentos de controle interno de qualidade de empresas produtoras de sementes. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar o vigor de sementes de soja pelo teste do etanol, bem como avaliar o metabolismo fermentativo após a aplicação do teste. Foi utilizado delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições, sendo os tratamentos compostos por 10 lotes de sementes de soja, com exceção das variáveis compostas pelo metabolismo fermentativo, na qual foram utilizados cinco lotes de sementes de soja. Primeiramente, avaliou-se a qualidade inicial dos lotes por meio da avaliação de teor de água, germinação, emergência de plântulas, envelhecimento acelerado, teste de tetrazólio (vigor), condutividade elétrica e respiração das sementes. Para o teste do etanol, as sementes foram submetidas aos tempos de embebição de 30, 60, 90, e 120 minutos até o momento da leitura e, posteriormente, avaliou-se o metabolismo fermentativo (lactato desidrogenase - LDH, piruvato descarbox