Resumo

VALLE MOYSEN, Rosalía et al. Effect of osmoconditioning on the germination of the maize type popcorn. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.2, pp.307-319. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v8i2.52.

The osmoconditioning is used to improve germination and seedling behavior in the field. Different substances are used, such as gibberellic acid, potassium nitrate and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The changes that occur in the osmoconditioned seed, which allow it to respond better during the process of germination and seedling establishment, are not well known. In Mexico we have a great diversity of maize varieties that are sown under temporary conditions. The antecedents show that the native races show differences in the germination phases. In this work the effect of osmoconditioning on popcorn maize was investigated (year 2015) to determine if it has a positive effect. In the soak test, no differences were observed between the control and the osmoconditioning treatments. The popcorn was resistant to immersion in water. There was no effect of the treatments on the total weight of the seedling, compared to the control; in the variable length of plumule, all treatments were superior to the control; for radicular length, treatments with PEG at 6 and 12 h in both counts and were superior to the control. The KNO3 treatments increased the amount of soluble protein whole seed. In the endosperm an increase in the extracted protein was observed. In titratable acidity there were differences between treatments. Some differences were observed in the electrophoretic patterns of seed proteins. The osmoconditioning is advisable for this breed because of its effect on length of plumule and radicle.

Palavras-chave : Zea mays; soak; soluble protein; vigor.