Sunflower seeds quality stored in uncontroled conditions, treated with hydrolats and vegetable extracts

Plant secondary metabolite allows the fungus control without inhibiting seed germination. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the action of hydrolates and plant extracts in the control of fungi and their effects on quality of sunflower seeds stored at room temperature. The seeds were stored for 12 months in sacks. During storage, sanity test was carried out, "Blotter test", to determine which fungi infested the sunflower seeds. At the end of storage, the seeds undergone throughout fungicide treatment, with hydrolats and with vegetable extracts. After that, the sanity test was carried out again to determine the effect of seed treatment in reducing the infestation of fungi and the physiological quality (first and final count germination, GSI, hypocotyl and radicle length) of the seeds treated with the same products. The experimental design was a completely randomized design. The Fusarium semitectum, Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. were the fungi with the highest incidence in the seeds during storage. The physiological seed quality was reduced with storage. Treatment with Captan 750 TS and P. nigrum, S. aromaticum and C. zeylanicum extractsreduce the fungi infestation and do not compromise the sunflower seeds physiological quality. For sunflower seeds stored in uncontrolled conditions, treatment is recommended.