The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of seed moisture content and storage temperature on the incidence of fungi and the germination of Euterpe oleracea seeds. Seeds of the BRS Para cultivar were used, with moisture contents of 43%, 37%, 30%, 26%, 21% and 12%, conditioned in polyethylene bags and stored under controlled temperatures of 20 ºC, 15 ºC and 10 ºC for 360 days. The seeds were submitted to periodic evaluations of the moisture content, germination and the incidence of Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., Fusarium solani and Fusarium verticillioides. The experimental design was completely random, with four replicates for the germination test and five replicates for the health tests. A higher incidence of Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. in seeds with a moisture content below 30% and at temperatures of 15 ºC and 20 ºC was observed whereas fungi of the genus Fusarium were found on seeds stored at 43% and 37% RH and maintained at a temperature of 10 ºC.
Euterpe oleracea; health; moisture content; conservation
