The object of this study was to evaluate the seed quality of four soybean cultivars (BRS 133, BRS 206, BRS 239 and CD 202), harvested at four different times (R7 stage and 7, 14 and 21 days after the first period), at two locations in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil (Sidrolândia and Dourados), in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 crop seasons. The experimental design was a randomized block with three replications in a split-plot. The plots and subplots were composed of soybean cultivars and harvest periods, respectively. Germination was evaluated by the standard germination test and vigour by the cold test without soil, the test of seedling emergence in a sand substrate, accelerated aging test and also by the health test. The data collected at the different sites were submitted to an analysis of variance of the split plots and, in the presence of significant interaction, the data were separated for the two crop years. In the 2004/ 2005 crop season, the BRS 239 and CD 202 soybean varieties showed high percentage germination for the production of seeds in the Dourados area. The best seed quality was obtained by harvesting 7 days after the R7 stage. BRS 239 showed less infection by microorganisms compared to cultivar BRS. In the 2005/ 2006 crop season, the BRS 239 cultivar showed the best germination and vigour. In relation to seed health quality, with greater delays in harvesting, the total percentage of microorganisms increases linearly for all the cultivars.
Glycine max; germination; vigour; late harvest
