This study was conducted with the objective of determination of most adequate substrate, temperature and forms of hydration applied in germination and vigor tests of pelleted seeds of tomato. The experiment was carried out at the Seed Analysis Laboratory of the Department of Agronomy of the Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil. The experimental design adopted was a completely randomized and the treatments were distributed in a 3 x 4 x 2 factorial scheme, the factors studied were temperature (25, 30 ºC constant and 20-30 ºC alternate), substrates (on and between paper sheets sand and vermiculite) and the hydration for which distilled water and potassium nitrate were used. The effects were evaluated considering percentage of germination, first counting, germination speed and weight of dry matter of seedlings. The substrates sand and vermiculite moistened with distilled water at constant temperatures of 25 or 30 ºC were the most efficient for germination and vigor test of pelleted seeds of tomatoes. The alternated temperatures 20-30 ºC and substrates on paper and between paper sheets were not found to be adequate for evaluation of pelleted seeds of tomato.
Lycopersicon esculentum; substrates; temperatures; seeds quality
