The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological performance of onion seeds after pre-conditioning with water (hydroconditioning), and treatment with fungicide and polymer. Onion seeds cv. Bola Precoce, provided by Hortec, were used and hydroconditioned with distilled water for 5.0 g seed samples between two sheets of Germitest germination paper with 2.5 times the dry weight of the paper, for 24 hours at 25 °C. After hydroconditioning, seeds were dried in an air-forced oven at ±35 °C for 20 hours until they reached 7% moisture content. They were then treated with Captan® fungicide at a dose of 2 g.kg-1 and coated with the polymer Colorseed Rigran® at a dose of 50 mL.kg-1. The treatments were: 1-control; 2-seed + fungicide; 3 seed + polymer; 4-seed + fungicide + polymer; 5-hydroconditioned seed; 6- hydroconditioned seed + fungicide; 7-hydroconditioned seed + polymer; 8- hydroconditioned seed + fungicide+ polymer. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 replications and averages were compared by the Scott-Knott test at the 5% significance level. Results showed that hydroconditioned onion seeds promote speed of emergence and the percentage of seedlings emerged. Hydroconditioned seeds produced larger seedlings and more biomass. Polymer use adversely affects onion seed vigor.
Allium cepa; pre-conditioning; polymer; fungicide
