Objective:

To evaluate the effect of the stimulation of diverse thermotherapeutic treatments, based on dry heat, on seeds of nine cultivars of Glycine max L., at three temperatures and three exposure times.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, of the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences. The effect of the stimulation of diverse thermotherapeutic treatments on the variables germination capacity, germination rate and radicle length was determined at 48, 72 and 96 h after the seeds were put to germinate. Then, the effect on the dry biomass of 100 radicles/treatment at 120 h was found. Variance analysis and Duncan’s multiple range test were performed on the variables for determining differences among their means.

Results:

The most effective thermotherapeutic treatment for all the variables was the one with five hours of exposure to 50 ºC, which increased the germination rate and capacity, radicle length and dry biomass of 100 radicles compared with the control. The cultivars of the best response to the treatment of 50 ºC during five hours, regarding germination percentage, were INCASoy-24 and INCASoy-27. Regarding radicle length and mass of 100 radicles, the cultivar INCASoy-2 was the best.

Conclusions:

The thermotherapeutic treatment with dry heat, which was more effective regarding the variables germination rate and capacity, and their vigor-related qualities, was the one with five hours of exposure to 50 ºC, for the nine cultivars used in the study. In the variables radicle length and dry mass of 100 radicles, the positive effect of the pregermination treatment of five hours of exposure to 50 ºC with regards to the control was proven.

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