The treatment of cotton seeds with growth regulator is used to obtain plants with reduced stature, with the advantage of ensuring control of plant development from emergence. The objective was to evaluate the development of cotton seedlings, grown from seeds treated with chloride mepiquat at different doses, application forms and stored after treatment. The seeds were treated with '120 IPR' solutions mepiquat chloride at doses of zero, 5, 10, 15 and 20g a. i kg-1 seed, via soaking for 12 hours and via direct application in seed. The treated seeds were stored in laboratory conditions and evaluated monthly until 180 days. We evaluated the germination, the length of shoot, root and total, the dry weight of seedlings. The data for each storage period, were subjected to analysis of variance and means of application methods were compared by Tukey test at 5%, under the completely randomized design with four replications in a factorial 5x2 (doses x application forms). The data were subjected to doses of regression studies until 2nd grade. Seeds treated with mepiquat chloride, independent of dose and can be stored for up to 180 days after treatment, without compromising the process of germination and growth regulator action. Treatment via soaking of seeds with mepiquat chloride provides the greatest reduction in seedling growth in relation to direct application. The increased rate of mepiquat chloride causes the reduction the growth and development of cotton seedlings, providing less length and dry mass.
Gossypium hirsutum L.; growth regulator; imbibition and application forms
