The wheat sown in southern Brazil has shown serious seed quality problems but standard procedures for determining the wheat seed vigor is missing from the literature. This project aimed to study the methodology of the accelerated ageing test to identify levels of vigor in wheat seed lots. Seeds of the wheat cultivars CD 104 and BRS 220 were used, each represented by five lots. The following tests were conducted: determination of moisture content (oven, 105 ± 3 ºC, 24 h), standard germination (8x50 seeds, 20 ºC) field seedling emergence, accelerated ageing (41 ºC / 48, 60 and 72 hours, and 43 ºC / 48 hours). Means were compared using the Tukey test at the 5% probability level; the Spearman rank correlation test was used for the study on the methodology of the accelerated ageing test, where a measure of the strength of the relationship between the test data and existing data on seedling emergence in the field was looked for. From the results, it was concluded that the accelerated ageing test at 43 °C for 48 h provides consistent information for differentiating between wheat seed lots.
Triticum aestivum; vigour; physiological potential
