This work was conducted at the Seed Research Laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa to study the effect of different materials (coffee seeds with 48-49, 31-32, 18-19 and 13-14% of moisture and coffee fruits), types of packaging (permeable and impermeable) and storage environments (temperatures at 7, 15 and 25°C) on conservation of arabica coffee seeds, cultivar Catuai IAC 44. Thus, after harvest of the fruits at the cherry stage a sample was collected, and the remaining fruit was mechanically depulped and the seeds submitted to natural fermentation for 24 hours. To reach the degree of moisture desired, the seeds were submitted to shade drying and oven drying with forced ventilation. The materials (seeds displaying different degrees of moisture and recently-collected fruits) were chemically treated, placed in two packing bags and stored at several temperatures. Before (month zero) and after three, six, and nine months of storage, the remaining fruits were depulped and the seeds in all treatments were evaluated for germination and vigor (accelerated aging and radicle), as well as moisture degree determination. The results obtained showed that conservation was better when the seeds were stored at 18.5% moisture, at a low temperature environment (7°C), regardless of type of packaging. Seeds with 31.5% moisture can also be stored for 9 months, at 7°C, when packed in permeable bags. At even higher humidity (48.5%), good coffee seed conservation was observed until the sixth month of storage when permeable bags were used and at temperature of 15°C. It was also verified that, in all treatments in which fruits were stored at several temperatures and seeds were stored at 25°C, there was a drastic drop in germination and vigor in the third month of storage.
moisture; packaging; fruit; cherry stage; dehydration; storage
