In recent research, early stages of coffee seedling development were identified, after radicle protrusion, in which all the essential parts of the seedling can be assessed to demonstrate the potential of seed germination to generate normal plants. Thus, the objective of this research was to develop studies to reduce the time on the germination test. Ten seed lots of coffee were assessed through the germination test, every two days, from the tenth day of sowing, according to the morphological criteria of the seedlings. The data were compared to the standard germination test and analyzed by means of regression analysis and segmented nonlinear regression and planteau response model. It was concluded that the assessment of coffee seedlings at 16 days, in stage S1, provides the similar result of the pattern germination test, allowing a significant reduction of time in order to demonstrate the germination of the seed lots; the seedling assessment coffee in stage S2 does not have reduction of the time for assessing the coffee germination, in relation to the pattern.

-Maturity stage and drying method are the factors that most influence coffee seed quality. The objective of this study was to assess the physiological quality and investigate the electrophoretic patterns of catalase and endo-ß-mannanase enzymes and heat resistant proteins in coffee seeds harvested at different phenological stages and dried under different conditions. Physiological quality was assessed when the seeds had developed the green, greenish-yellow, cherry, overripe and dry stages after three treatments: no drying, conventional drying and fast drying. After each treatment, the physiological quality of the seeds was assessed using the germination test and electrophoretic patterns of heat resistant proteins and the activity of catalase and endo-ß-mannanase enzymes. Seeds harvested at the cherry phenological stage had the best physiological quality, and the drying process reduced quality at the cherry, overripe and dry stages. This reduction was greater under the faster drying process, but at the greenish-yellow stage, seeds had better physiological quality after slow drying. Regarding the results from electrophoretic analysis, endo-ß-mannanase and catalase activities increase as the ripeness stages advance; the activity of endo-ß-mannanase is directly associated with the deterioration process; the expression of heat resistant proteins increases with maturation process and is associated with seed physiological quality.Index terms: Coffea arabica L., seed drying, physiological quality, protein profile.Sensibilidade à dessecação de sementes de café em diferentes estádios fenológicos RESUMO -O estádio de maturação e a secagem são os fatores que mais influenciam a qualidade de sementes de café. O objetivo foi avaliar a qualidade fisiológica e investigar os padrões eletroforéticos das enzimas catalase, endo-ß-mananase e das proteínas resistentes ao calor em sementes de café, em diferentes estádios e secadas em diferentes condições. Avaliouse a qualidade nos estádios verde, verde cana, cereja, passa e seco, após tratamentos de secagem: sem secagem, secagem convencional e secagem rápida. A qualidade fisiológica foi avaliada pelo teste de germinação, padrão eletroforético das proteínas resistentes ao calor e atividade das enzimas catalase e endo-β-mannanase. Sementes colhidas no estádio cereja apresentam melhor qualidade fisiológica e a secagem reduz a qualidade das sementes colhidas nos estádios de maturação cereja, passa e seco. Esta redução foi maior após secagem mais rápida, mas no estádio verde cana as sementes apresentam melhor desempenho fisiológico após secagem lenta. Com relação às análises eletroforéticas, a atividade das enzimas endo-ß-mannanase e catalase aumenta quando o processo de maturação avança; a atividade da endo-ß-mannanase está diretamente relacionada com o processo de deterioração; a expressão de proteínas resistentes ao calor aumenta com a maturação e está associada à qualidade fisiológica das sementes de café.Termos para indexação: Coffea arabica L., secagem, qualidade fisiológica,...