Populations of carrot seeds with superior physiological quality and storage potential are of interest to seed companies and growers. Thus, we verified the efficiency of some tests for the selection of carrot populations with greater vigor and longevity of seeds. Seeds of 50 carrots progenies of different half-brothers from Brasilia cultivar were evaluated for the mass of one hundred seeds, the first count, germination, dormancy, accelerated aging with water and saturated NaCl solution. The seeds were stored at moisture contents of 6.1±0.3% in hermetic packaging at temperatures of 15 and 25°C for 12 months and germination was evaluated quarterly. The experimental data were evaluated for variance and phenotypic, genotypic and environmental heritability, coefficient of variation and genetic gain from selection. Selection based on the mass should not be used because it would increase the occurrence of dormancy in seeds of the next generation. The test of the first count, germination and accelerated aging in water or saline solution saturated may be used to select populations of carrot seeds of higher vigor and longevity. The estimated gain genetic selection for germination after 12 months storage at 25°C was 14%.
Daucus carota; breeding; accelerated aging; vigor tests
