The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of cold storage (CS) and controlled atmosphere (CA) on quality of three pinto bean genotypes ('Carioca', 'Pérola' and the lineage M91-012). The treatments applied in a completely randomized design with three replicats were: ambient temperature (conventional); cold storage at 0ºC (CS) and controlled atmosphere with a 1.1 <IMG SRC="http:/img/fbpe/cr/v32n6/12733s2.gif">flow of N2 (CA). After 9 and 19 months of storage, the tegument color of the three genotypes presented the same behavior. CA conditions resulted in a lighter the tegument color (L*) while at ambient temperature tegument color was darker. The cv. Carioca stored at ambient temperature presented the smallest germination after 9 months of storage, and affer 19 months, the three bean genotypes had the lowest germination rates, when kept at ambient temperature. The humidity of all bean genotypes decreased when stored in CA. Insects only damaged pinto beans stored at ambient temperature. Percentages of losses were only significant cv. Carioca after 9 months. After 19 months the losses due to insects were significant for all pinto bean genotypes stored at ambient temperatures. The shortest cooking times were obtained with CA and CS.
quality; seeds; cooking time
