Avaliação da qualidade e viabilidade de sementes de variedades locais de milho produzidas no distrito de Chibuto

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the viability and quality of maize seeds produced in the Chibuto district. For this purpose, seed samples were collected from six locations in the district, namely: Godide (Treatment 1), Malehice (Treatment 2), Coca Missava (Treatment 3), Vilas do Milenio (Treatment 4), Maniquinique (Treatment 5), and Alto-Changane (Treatment 6). Seed analyses were conducted at the Post-Harvest Laboratory of the Higher School of Business and Entrepreneurship of Chibuto, Eduardo Mondlane University. The evaluated parameters were: weight of 100 seeds, moisture content, and germination percentage. The parameters were subjected to normality and variance homogeneity tests. Subsequently, they were analyzed using ANOVA and a mean comparison test. Statistical analyses were performed using SigmaPlot®15 software. The weight of 100 seeds across the six treatments ranged from 22 to 30 grams. The moisture content was within the optimal range of 9-14%, except for Treatment 5, which had 18%. The germination percentage of the seeds from the treatments was excellent, ranging from 85 to 97.5%, except for Treatment 5, which had 0%. The seeds from the Chibuto district showed optimal physiological quality and were viable, with the exception of the seeds from Treatment 5. Keywords: Germination percentage; Moisture content; Weight of 100 seeds.