Physiological potential of cowpea seeds submitted to pre-priming

The use of good quality seed is essential for the proper establishment of a crop. For a more accurate analysis of the seed quality, it is necessary to complement the information provided by the germination test with the vigor tests, which, among them, the electrical conductivity stand out, since it is considered fast, simple and reliable. The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of pre-priming on the efficiency of the electrical conductivity test in the evaluation of the physiological potential in six lots of cowpea cv. Seventy. The germination and vigor tests (first count, germination speed index, field emergence, accelerated aging and electrical conductivity) were determined by the determination of the water content. Subsequently, the seeds were submitted to the pre-priming treatments in humid substrate for 0, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 hours, before immersion in water and re-reading. Pre-priming times from nine to fifteen hours can be used to identify less sensitive differences in the physiological quality of cowpea seeds.