Caracterización de la calidad de semilla de soja de uso propio zafra 2018-2019

The production of soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in Uruguay is an important sector of the economy, leading agricultural development over the past two decades. In Uruguay, both national and imported seeds are used, and the use of certified seeds is encouraged to ensure their genetic, physical, and physiological quality. However, between 2015 and 2022, the origin of the seeds cultivated by producers was, on average, 44% labeled seeds (certified and commercial), 40% seeds produced and reserved by the producer for their own use, and 16% illegal seeds. Unlike labeled seeds, the quality of self-produced seeds is unknown. The management of seedbeds and the conditions of the production environment from grain filling to harvest are some of the factors affecting the acquisition of superior-quality seeds. The objective of the study was to assess the quality of seeds reserved by producers for their own use during the 2018-2019 harvest. To achieve this, five different agricultural and climatic regions were established, and the environmental conditions during grain filling to harvest were related to seed quality in each region. Germination, viability, vigor, damage from bugs, environmental damage, and mechanical damage were studied. Additionally, varietal identity was assessed using two indirect estimation methods. The study revealed differences in germination between regions primarily due to environmental damage and bug damage, which in some regions exceeded 6%, the limit set for superior-quality seeds. This indicated poor management of seedbeds in controlling bugs and determining the optimal harvest time. The results of the varietal identity analysis could be improved by using the replica method, as this method detected a higher percentage of contaminated samples (7%) compared to the general visual observation of the sample, which was 0.4%.