QUALIDADE FISIOLÓGICA E SANITÁRIA DE SEMENTES DE PIMENTÃO COMERCIALIZADAS EM SANTARÉM, PARÁ

The physiological and sanitary quality of seeds is one of the most important aspects to achieve crop success. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological and sanitary quality of seven cultivars of pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) commercialized in Santarem, Para. The seeds were distributed equidistantly in gerbox® plastic boxes containing sterilized and moistened filter paper and maintained at ± 25 ° C for 14 days with 12h photoperiod. Germination, number of normal and abnormal seedlings at seven and 14 days, germination speed index (IVG) and fungi incidence on the seeds were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replicates, 50 seeds per replicate, making a total of 1400 seeds evaluated. All the lots of the evaluated pepper cultivars exhibited low vigor, considering the low percentage of normal seedlings resulting. The lots of the cultivars All Big, Yellow SF 134, Red Square and Ruby Giant presented germination within the standards informed by the manufacturers. In the seeds of Yellow SF 134 and Itapua 501 100% of fungal incidence was observed, being identified the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Rhizopus. Itapua 501 presented the worst physiological and sanitary performance among the lots of the evaluated cultivars. Considering the low percentage of normal seedlings resulting, the plots of the pepper cultivars evaluated in this work could compromise the initial planting stand. KEYWORDS: Capsicum annuum , Germination, Seed pathology, Vigor.