671 AJCS 9(7):671-677 (2015) ISSN:1835-2707 Physiological potential of the black sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds in reply to the storage conditions Daniel A. Cunha, Cristiane F. Lisboa, Itamar R. Teixeira * , André J. Campos, Ivano A. Devilla Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Estadual de Goiás (UEG), Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil *Corresponding author Email: itamar.texeira@ueg.br Abstract It was aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of sesame seeds stored in packaging and environments for a year. The completely randomized design in a factorial 3  2  7 with four replications was used. The treatments were constituted of three types of packaging (kraft bag, PET bottle and plastic bag), stored in two storage environments (natural condition of laboratory and freezer at - 4°C and 80% RH), during 360 days, with reviews by physiological quality before storage and the others in a 60-day cycle. The permeable kraft paper packs along with the freezer environment, is inefficient for the conservation of vigor and viability of black sesame seeds during storage, due to allowing the exchange of water vapor of the seed with the environment. The vigor of black sesame seeds, with the exception of the electrical conductivity test, decreased over the storage period, regardless of the packaging used. The semipermeable packs of plastic bag and waterproof pet bottle are the most indicated for packaging of black sesame during the storage period, regardless of the environment. Keywords: Oilseed, Physiological quality, deterioration, viability, vigor. Abbreviations: P_Packing, E_Environment, SP_storage period, RH_relative humidity, MAPA_Ministry of Agriculture and Food Supply, SGT_ standard of germination test, FC_first count of SGT, SL_seedling of length, EC_electrical conductivity, CV_ Coefficient of variation. Introduction Sesame is one of the oldest oilseeds cultivated in the world and is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas (Ashri, 2010). The oil extracted from its seeds is regarded as the most important product of the plant, with mean values between 48 and 56% (Silva et al., 2011), with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, especially 47% oleic acid and 41% linoleic acid (Noble et al., 2013.) being used as food, in industry and as medicine. Its seeds still present around 30% of protein (Onsaard, 2012), and that makes it a product of high nutritional value. The plant is highly drought tolerant, grows well in many soil types and climates, being suitable for different options of rotations and crop sequences and intercropping with annual crops (Pham et al., 2010), for the Northeast and Midwest regions of Brazil. The storage phase is considered one of the most important for obtaining seed lots with higher physiological quality, and is the method by which the viability of the seeds can be preserved and their vigor maintained at a reasonable level during the period between sowing and the harvest (Bonner, 2008). The ability of seeds to maintain their quality during storage is influenced by several factors, including the initial physiological quality of the seed, mother plant vigor, climatic conditions during maturation, mechanical damage, drying conditions, proper moisture content, relative humidity, storage temperature, action of microorganisms and insects, types of packaging and storage duration (Toledo et al., 2009). At physiological maturity, there is an immediate start of the storage period before the harvesting operation, called in-field storage (Baudet, 2003). However, because the seed has a hygroscopic characteristic, it shows a considerable variation in water content due to relative humidity, thus a low water content of the seed, associated with low temperature of the storage environment and lower relative humidity are key points for the maintenance of viability for a prolonged period (Marcos Filho, 2005). Maintaining the viability and seed vigor during storage also depends on the type of packaging employed. Seeds conditioned in packaging which enables the exchange of water vapor with the environment can absorb water under high relative humidity, easily decaying seeds (Marcos Filho, 2005). Baudet et al. (2003) and Bonner (2008) classify the packaging regarding the exchange of water vapor in: permeable, semipermeable and impermeable, depending on the exchange of moisture that may occur between the seeds and the environment in which they are maintained. The permeable and semi permeable packaging allow greater exchanges of the seed with the environment in relation to impermeable packaging that do not allow this exchange. Oilseeds such as sesame seeds, when improperly packaged, deteriorate with the increase of acidity. Storage conditions are determinant to guarantee physiological seed quality and although their quality cannot be improved, good condition during this period will contribute to keep them viable for a longer time, slowing down the process of deterioration (Nakagawa and Carvalho, 2012). However, investigative researches about the behavior of sesame during storage are rare and inconclusive. Lima et al. (2014) investigating the physiological quality of sesame seeds cv. BRS Seda of cream integument found that the seeds remain viable for of up to twelve months, when stored in a cold and dry room environment and the refrigerator, regardless the type of packaging used, while in the natural environment, the seeds remain viable for up to six months of storage. In the freezer