Physiological and Sanitary Quality in Cowpea Seeds Produced in Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil

Abstract

The importance of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) to the Northeast region of Brazil is undeniable, it is a major crop in local family agriculture. As a result, the research aimed to evaluate the physiological and sanitary quality of local varieties of cowpea coming from the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The experiment was carried out at the Seed

Comparative study of the physiological and health quality of traditional and biofortified cowpea seeds

“…All the varieties assessed in the present research showed very high vigor. These results were similar in part to those reported by Silva et al (2019) in whose experiments only two cowpea varieties showed very high vigor, Pingo de Ouro and Sempre Verde with 92% and 86%, respectively. The high vigor values are related to the success of establishment and higher productivity in the field (Marcos Filho, 2015).…”

“…For the aerial part length, the smallest value was 9.01 cm while the biggest value was 15.48 cm. Our results showed higher values compared to the results of the studies by Silva et al (2019) who observed a mean value of at most 4.8 cm for landrace cowpea varieties. These seedling growth parameters reflect in the field performance, as success at this development phase shows their productive potential.…”

“…The water content in the cowpea seeds in the traditional varieties ranged from 10.6% to 11.62%, and in the biofortified varieties from 11.13% to 14.93%. Similar values (10.52% to 12.15%) were found for landrace cowpea varieties cultivated in Rio Grande do Norte (Silva et al, 2019). Bragantini (2005) reported that when the storage moisture of the bean is between 11% and 13%, the respiratory process is low, and thus seed deterioration is avoided and the physiological quality is maintained.…”

“…These data showed the potential of the traditional and biofortified varieties studied. Silva et al (2019) obtained values for the germination results higher than the standard for three of the six landrace cowpea varieties studied. In the state of Ceará, Gomes et al (2008) assessed the germinative potential of cowpea seeds produced and observed that all the seeds of twelve varieties were below the standard value.…”

“…Although some authors have reported aspects of cowpea seed health (Rodrigues and Menezes, 2002;Silva, 2006) and physiological quality (Silva, 2011;Assis et al, 2019;Silva et al, 2019;Raisse et al, 2020), there is little information on the comparative study of traditional and biofortified cowpea varieties. Thus it is essential to know the quality of the seeds used in the plantations to improve production efficiency in this crop, especially for small farmers.…”