The knowledge of the physiological aspects of Caatinga’s vegetal species is extremely important for preserving this biome, which suffers with human impacts, mainly to select propagation methods. Erythrina velutina is a Brazilian tree, generally found in Caatinga, with medical and forestry potential. The objective of this paper was to determine the best soaking period in gibberellin solution to achieve the highest germination and to evaluate the internal anatomy by digital microtomography of E. velutina seeds. The design was completely randomized and consisted of eight treatments: 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h of soaking, scarified seeds and the control with no-scarified seeds. Digital microtomography was efficient in describing the anatomy of the seeds and distinguishing their tissues. There was no significant difference between the treatments at different soaking times, as the gibberellic acid did not influence the germination; only the control presented a lower germination percentage, differing from the other treatments. The study presents evidence that E. velutina seeds do not require the exogenous use of gibberellic acid, but only the scarification process. In addition, the use of digital microtomography can be useful in understanding the anatomy of seeds, especially forest species, which can contribute to the future studies of other plant species.

The application of trinexapac-ethyl in white oats, in addition to controlling lodging, can modify the architecture of the plant, which can favor good growth and development and the production of well-formed, large and heavy grains, characteristics that are valued by the food industry oat processing. However, the responses of the white oat genotypes regarding the effect of doses and times of application of the growth reducer can be variable. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different doses and application times of the growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl on the industrial quality of white oat grains. The experiment was carried out with the cultivar IPR Artemis, under a randomized block design with four replications, in a 4 x 3 factorial scheme, corresponding to four doses of trinexapac-ethyl (0, 50, 100 and 150 g ha-1) and three application times (E1: plants with the 1st noticeable node; E2: between the 1st visible node and the 2nd noticeable node and E3: plants with the 2nd visible node and 3rd noticeable node). The weight of one thousand grains, hectoliter weight, percentage of grains with thickness greater than two millimeters, husking index and industrial grain yield were evaluated. The application of trinexapac-ethyl regardless of the stages at doses of 0 and 50 g ha-1 does not interfere with the industrial quality of grains, but at doses of 100 and 150 g ha-1, at times E2 and E3, there is a reduction in industrial quality of grains (weight of a thousand grains, hectoliter weight, percentage of grains thicker than two millimeters, hulling and industrial grain yield) of the cultivar IPR Artemis.

Seed treatment with fungi of the genus Trichoderma spp. provides several benefits, including plant growth promotion, stress tolerance, and pathogenic fungi control. Moreover, to avoid inadequate doses and unnecessary costs, these treatments must be applied in proper amounts. However, no study has evaluated their applicability in wheat seeds. This study aimed to determine the most efficient dose of Trichoderma-based products applied as a seed treatment for improving the physiological and sanitary quality of the wheat cultivars TBIO ‘Toruk’ and TBIO ‘Sossego’, besides comparing the performance of biological and chemical agents. Two biological treatments (Trichoderma asperellum SF 04 and Trichoderma harzianum IBLF006) were applied at 0 (control), 5 × 10 11 , 1 × 10 12 , 1.5 × 10 12 , and 2 × 10 12 colony-forming units (CFU) 100 kg–1 seed. Two chemical treatments (carboxin + thiram and pyraclostrobin + thiophanate-methyl + fipronil) were applied at the manufacturers’ recommended doses. Seed germination, shoot and root lengths, seedling dry matter, and sanitary quality were analyzed under laboratory conditions, while seedling emergence, shoot length, and shoot dry matter were analyzed under greenhouse conditions. The optimal dose for wheat seed treatment with T. asperellum SF 04 and T. harzianum IBLF006 was 2 × 10 12 CFU 100 kg–1 seed. When comparing biological and chemical products, our findings indicate that both options are adequate for managing wheat diseases and providing seedling growth via seed treatment.

Soybean seed treatment contributes to the maintenance of seed quality, but the effect of commercial formulations and chemical products on the effectiveness of the electrical conductivity test based on electrolyte leaching has been frequently questioned. This study aimed to verify the interference of the chemical seed treatment of two soybean cultivars on the effectiveness of the electrical conductivity test in evaluating the vigor of freshly treated and stored seeds. The experimental design was completely randomized, consisting of seven seed treatments and two evaluation periods (0 and 60 days after storage), with four replications. The used seed treatments consisted of 1) fipronil + pyraclostrobin + thiophanate-methyl, 2) imidacloprid + thiodicarb + carbendazim + thiram, 3) abamectin + thiamethoxan + fludioxonil + mefenoxam + thiabendazole, 4) carbendazim + thiram, 5) fludioxonil + mefenoxam + thiabendazole, 6) carboxin + thiram, and 7) control (no treatment). The cultivars were BRS 360 RR and BRS 284, which were analyzed separately. Germination, accelerated aging, emergence, and electrical conductivity tests were carried out. No differences were detected between the control and chemical treatments performed on seeds of the two freshly treated soybean cultivars regarding germination, accelerated aging, and emergence tests. The germination test stood out after storage with the cultivar BRS 360 RR, showing the maintenance of germination potential for seeds treated with carbendazim + thiram and the control treatment. Therefore, the chemical treatment of soybean seeds interferes with the result of the electrical conductivity test. The electrical conductivity test is effective in segregating seed lots in terms of vigor level. The electrical conductivity test correlates with the other vigor tests used to identify the reduction in the physiological seed quality with storage.