Ponto de colheita de sementes de cultivares crioulas de milho no Rio Grande do Sul Ideal seeds harvest moment of landrace cultivars of maize in Rio Grande do Sul

The harvest moment of landrace cultivars of maize seeds can be observed through visual indicators, and studies with respect to the physiological and sanitary quality of seeds are needed so that they can present high quality. With the aim of studying the harvesting moment of seeds from landrace cultivars of maize through evaluations at different times, three cultivars (Amarelao, Bico de Ouro and Cinquentinha) were sown and had the characteristics of spike, stem and plant evaluated. Harvest occurred at four periods, when the contents of water and solidification of the endosperm were assessed. This experiment was conducted in the 2011/2012 agricultural year in the municipality of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. At each harvest period, the seeds were evaluated by tests of physical, physiological and sanitary quality. The three cultivars studied showed higher seed vigor at the fourth harvest period (20% to 30% of moisture content). The incidence of pathogens in seeds was significant at all harvest moments, but germination was not hampered.