Evaluation of cowpea seed quality by electrical conductivity

The electrical conductivity of the seed soaking solution is a procedure recommended for the evaluation of vigor in pea and soybean seeds. However, it was not so well established in other species. The objective of this work was to evaluate their effects on physiological quality of cowpea seeds. Four batches of cowpea seeds were tested for germination, first count of germination, germination percentage, emergence percentage, rate of emergence, radicle and variations in electrical conductivity (temperature 25 °C; volumes of 75 mL and 100 mL of water, 25 and 50 seeds, and 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours periods). The experimental design was a completely randomized with four replicates for each treatment. Based on these results, it was found that the electrical conductivity test was efficient in the separation of seed lots according to their vigor levels.

Vigna unguiculata L.; germination; seed vigor; physiological potential