ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF SOYBEAN SOAKED SEEDS .1. EFFECT OF GENOTYPE

During the period from October/92 to September/94 experiments were car ried out at the Seed Laboratory, FCAV/UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, using soybean seeds of different genotypes in order to evaluate the ef fect of genotype on the electrical conductivity (bulk conductivity) of soaked seeds. Seed moisture content (105+/-3 degrees C, 24 h), standa rd germination (four 50-seed samples, paper towel, 30 degrees C), and vigor-accelerated aging (42 degrees C, 48 h) were first determined. Un damaged soybean seeds were soaked in deionized water (four 50-seed sam ples, 75 ml, 25 degrees C, 24 h) and electrical conductivity (mu mhos. cm(-1).g(-1)) was measured. Significant differences in conductivity we re observed among genotypes having the same pattern of germination and vigor. The results have showed that electrical conductivity can be si gnificantly influenced by genotype.