Chia seed viability analysis protocol by tetrazolium test

Abstract

Salvia hispanica L. is an annual herbaceous plant, belonging to the Lamiaceae family, it stands out as the natural resource of plant origin with the highest content of fatty acids known so far. To obtain success in the production of seeds it is necessary to use lots of high quality, which can be evaluated, through the vigor of the same, at present, one of the main requirements for the evaluation of vigor refers to the obtaining of reliable results in a relatively short period of time. The tetrazolium test stands out for being fast and reliable. However, the methodology for the genus Salvia is not referenced within the standards of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), considering these facts, it becomes important to carry out the experiment for the development of a protocol that allows this analysis. The research was carried out in the Seed Laboratory of the Federal University of Pelotas, six batches of black chia seeds were used and four concentrations of tetrazolium salt (0.075%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1%) were tested to evaluate the seed viability. The experimental delineation was in randomized blocks, submitted to the analysis of variance through the F test and subsequently the means compared to each other by the Tukey test, at 5% probability, for comparison of the means. The tetrazolium test conducted in the concentration of 0.075% is efficient to evaluate the viability of the seeds of S. hispanica L., as well as to differentiate lots with different physiological quality.