Seedling Image Analysis System for Evaluation of Crotalaria Juncea L Seed Vigor.

The use of leguminous species such as Crotalaria juncea L. has increased in Brazil, either as green manure or for the manufacture of special papers. The development of sensitive methods to obtain fast and accurate information about seed performance in the field is an essential component of quality control programs. Thus, it was studied the efficiency of an automatic seed vigor imaging analysis system (SVIS ®) to determine the vigor of sun hemp seeds. So, fourteen seeds lots were evaluated for germination, first count, electrical conductivity and seedling emergence in the field. The experiments were conducted in two phases, where the first consisted of the use of seven seeds lots harvested in 2007-2008 growing season, and the second in 2008-2009. To assess the vigor through of SVIS ®, in each stage seeds were distributed in two rows located on the upper surface of paper towels, at 20-30 ºC, for three and four days to establish the  most adequate period to the identification of lots with different levels of vigor. Seedlings were scanned in HP Scanjet 2004 and analyzed by SVIS ®, where data were expressed by a vigor index, seedling length and uniformity of seedling growth. The image analysis of seedlings of sun hemp through of SVIS ® is efficient to rank seed lots according to vigor levels, showing consistent results in 3-day old seedlings, as well as similar information with seedling emergence and the results of other procedures for evaluating seed vigor.