In the evaluation of the seed quality it may be necessary the hydration of the seeds, as in the controlled deterioration test that requires uniformization in the moisture content of the seed lots before the process of deterioration. The goal of the paper was to evaluate the physiological potential of maize seeds after the hydration through the method of paper towel substrate, under different temperatures and amounts of water in the substrate, for raising the water content to 15%, 20% and 25%. Three amounts of water were evaluated in the paper towel substrate (2,0; 2,5 and 3,0 times the paper mass), under temperatures of 20 and 30º C. The quality of the seeds, both before and after the hydration, were determined by the following evaluations: moisture content, mass of thousand seeds, germination, seedlings dry weight, cold test, accelerated aging, electrical condutivity, tetrazolium, percentage and speed of emergence of seedlings on field. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design outlining in a factorial scheme (3x2), independently for each moisture content. The data were submitted to analysis of variation and the average compared by the Tukey test at 5%. The hydration by the method of paper towel substrate did not affect the germination of the maize seeds, independently of temperature and amount of water in the substrate. The proportions of 2,0 and 2,5 times the mass of paper towel substrate under temperature of 30ºC and of 3,0 times the mass of substrate under temperature of 20ºC did not affect the physiological potential of seeds, being adequate in the hydration of maize seeds for the moisture content of 15, 20 and 25%.
Zea mays L.; germination; moisture content
