Immediate and latent damages of drying temperature in the quality of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) seeds

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the immediate and latent drying temperature damages on the physical and physiological quality of black oat seeds. The seeds were dried in an oven with air circulation at temperatures of 30, 40 and 50ºC, in addition to the use of alternating temperatures (40-50ºC). After drying the seeds were stored under environmental conditions for 180 days, and physical and physiological analyses were performed every 45 days. It was observed that the physical quality of black oat seeds was reduced with an increase in the storage time, regardless of the drying temperature used. The physiological quality of black oat seeds increased throughout storage until dormancy was overcome, regardless of the drying temperature. Elevated drying temperatures cause immediate damages to the physical quality of black oat seeds, whereas physiological quality tends latently to suffer the negative influence of increasing the temperature of the drying air.