Nitrogen (N) and sulphate (S) fertilization in wheat crop: effect on the vigor of seeds produced

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen in association with sulfur applied in the field and the influence of this fertilization on the vigor of wheat seeds produced and later evaluated in the laboratory. Field experiments were carried out in the municipalities of Caibaté-RS and Pelotas-RS using the TBIO Sinuelo cultivar adapted to all the regions of Rio Grande do Sul. The experimental design was a randomized block design with a 2x5x2 trifractory scheme (cultivation environments x doses of nitrogen x sulfur management) with 4 replicates. The treatments consisted of the combination of two cultivation environments [Caibaté-RS and Pelotas-RS], five nitrogen doses Urea 45%, [0; 22.5; 45; 67.5 and 90 kg ha-1] applied at the beginning of tillering and sulfur, Sulfuric 90% sulfur, [0 and 60 kg ha-1] applied before sowing, about 7 days. After reaching physiological maturity, the seeds were harvested manually and taken to the seed laboratory. The seeds were dried in a forced ventilation oven at 41ºC until the moisture content stabilized at 12% (wet bulb). We evaluated the first germination count (FGC), accelerated aging (AA), field emergence (FE), shoot length (RL) and seedling root length (SL). The seeds produced in Caibaté-RS have greater vigor in relation to Pelotas-RS. Nitrogen fertilization favors the production of seeds with greater vigor, while sulfur can influence the vigor according to the environment in which the plants are cultivated