Seeds of 'IAC 1246' rice (Oryza sativa L.) and 'Hmd 7974' hybrid corn (Zea mays L.) were packed in water vapor permeable containers as cloth bag, paper bag 5 x 5 and 5 x 6 woven plastic bag; and in a 0.25 mm thick moisture-resistant plastic bag. The seeds were then maintained under non-controlled room temperature conditions in the localities of Campinas and Ubatuba, both in the State of São Paulo, and tested for moisture content at every three month interval for a period of 36 months. The seeds stored at Ubatuba deteriorated faster than those stored at Campinas, mainly when packed in water vapor permeable containers. For example, at Campinas, rice seeds held in cloth bags maintained seed germination higher than 80% up to 15 months, while those at Ubatuba did so only up to 6 months. Packing seeds in 0.25 mm thick plastic films was advantageous, mainly at Ubatuba where the germination of the corn seeds, for example, was null after 15 months when held in the other containers, and 97.5% when held in the plastic films. The packages made with cloth, paper, and 5 x 5 and 5 x 6 woven plastic gave similar results for the preservation of seed germination and vigor. This indicated the great difficulty, or even the impossibility of storing seeds in warm and humid areas, like Ubatuba, unless the storage temperature and/or relative humidity are controlled, or seed moisture is reduced to relatively low levels (10-11% or less) and seeds are packed in a moisture-resistant container. The water vapor permeable containers showed to be adequate to mantain seed viability and vigor in regions with more favorable climate.
rice; Oryza sativa L.; corn; Zea mays L.; seeds; storage; containers