Abstract

Osmoconditioning stands out as an alternative treatment that aims to improve seed performance in the field. The process consists of immersing the seed in an aqueous solution containing the osmotically active compound, and thus the process of imbibition begins, which stops as soon as they reach equilibrium with the solution’s osmotic potential, allowing only the occurrence of the initial mechanisms of germination. Given the above, the objective of this work was to verify the effect of osmoconditioning on the physiological quality of sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.). For that, sunflower seeds of cultivar BRS 323 were used, which were soaked in polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) solutions at different times of 0, 2, 4 and 6 hours. Then, the seeds were washed in distilled water and sown in trays containing sterilized sand. The following descriptors were evaluated: emergence, first emergence count, emergence velocity index, shoot length, and root length. Sunflower is a plant responsible for osmoconditioning by immersion at a potential of -2 MPa for 3.8 hours. The osmoconditioning of sunflower seeds can efficiently improve seedling performance in the stand, influencing emergence and emergence speed.

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