Physiological quality and its relation to the maturity stages of maize seeds

Objective: To determine the physiological quality of maize seeds from the F6 (Yellow × V-54A) experimental variety and its relation to the maturation stages of the seeds, as well as its association with physiological maturity. Methodology: Eight cob samples were assessed to determine the presence of milk line and black layer, moisture content, and dry matter accumulation during seed maturation. A germination test was used to establish physiological quality. The experiment included a completely randomized design with replicated measures at 5% significance. Results: The milk line decreased (100 to 10%) and the black layer gradually appeared (0 to 99%) as seeds matured. Moisture content decreased (58.1 to 25.4%) as sampling progressed, resulting from the highest biomass accumulation (74.6%) and physiological quality (72.5%). The percentage of ungerminated seeds reached 94.3% when seeds were immature; however, this percentage decreased to 18.5% at physiological maturity. Seedling abnormalities ranged from 3.8 to 16.8%. Conclusions: The physiological quality of maize seeds depended on their physical attributes rather than on their physiological maturity.