Adhering Agents in Maize Seed Pelletizing

Abstract

The maize very important role in the Brazilian economy because it has a high commercial value, having great production due to its ability to adapt to different edaphoclimatic conditions. Family farming produces seeds from local varieties, called creole seeds. This type of seed is resistant because it keeps relevant characteristics left as an inheritance from its ancestors, who, free of charge, performed an environmental service for the preservation and perpetuation of this genetic heritage. Therefore, the work had to evaluate the effect of the adherent agents palm extract, aloe vera extract and sugar solution in the pelleting of creole corn seeds with rock dust. The work was carried out in the Plant Propagation Laboratory belonging to the Campus of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences of the Federal University of Alagoas. As adherent agents were used: water, palm extract, aloe vera extract and sugar solution. Rock dust (MB-4) was used for the coating. The evaluated parameters were: water content, weight of a thousand seeds, first germination count, germination, germination speed index, average germination time, germination uncertainty, length and dry mass of the root and aerial part. Palm extract is the most efficient adherent agent for pelletizing corn seeds with rock dust.