Considering that the storage develops an important role in the maintenance of seed quality, this experiment was carried out to evaluate the physiological and sanitary qualities of cotton seeds chemically treated and stored until twelve months. Two cotton seed lots cv. DeltaPine-AC90, chemically delinted, were treated with four different fungicides and inseticides: control; Disulfoton + Carboxin + Thiram; Carbofuran + Carboxin + Thiram; Imidacloprid + Tolylfluanid + Pencycuron. The conditions of temperature and humidity of the storage environment were not controlled. At the beginning of storage and every two month the seed samples were evaluated for moisture content, germination percentage, vigor determined by the accelerated aging test and germination at low temperature, sanitary conditions and seedling emergence in sand. It was observed that the physiological quality of cotton seeds (germination and vigor) was reduced during storage and that the occurrence of Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. increased as well. The seed quality for commercialization was maintained until the eighth month of storage. It was concluded that: the efficiency of the fungicide and inseticide treatments depends on the combination of the used products; cotton seeds with low vigor level should not be treated; the occurrence of Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. increased during storage in the seeds without treatment; the maintenance of the cotton seed quality for commercialization depends on the initial quality and the storage period.
Gossypium hirsutum; seed; storage; quality
