Physiological and sanitary attributes of organic lettuce seeds treated with essential oils during storage

Abstract

The use of quality seeds becomes crucial in the seed production system. In the production of organic seeds, there is a need for specific techniques. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the applications of clove, lemongrass, rosemary, eucalyptus, ginger and tea tree essential oils in different concentrations of lettuce seeds. Seed quality was determined by physical (water content), physiological (germination and vigor) and sanitary parameters, immediately after the application of essential oils and after 180 days of storage. The design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme (6x5) with four replications. The application of rosemary, ginger and tea tree essential oils to the seeds shortly after harvest did not interfere with germination. The other essential oils resulted in reduced germination and vigor. Increasing the concentration of essential oils, especially clove and lemongrass, reduced germination, vigor and incidence of fungi. It was concluded that Clove, Lemongrass, eucalyptus, ginger, Rosemary and tea tree essential oils reduced the physiological quality of lettuce seeds and inhibited the development of Alternaria sp. lettuce.