High Nitrogen Fertilization Decreases Seed Weight but Increases Longevity in Tomato Seeds

Nitrogen fertilization is a key practice in agriculture and its effects on yield quality of most commodity products are widely known. However, the response seed production to N fertilization, especially with regard quality, still poorly understood. The objective this study was determine effect tomato quality. Six attributes were assessed (weight, standard germination, germination rate under normal adverse conditions, dormancy longevity) cv. Moneymaker plants fertigated one three nutrient solutions differing their concentration: 5, 15 or 25 mM. Seed weight decreased by 4% increasing while mean time did not vary among treatments, average values 89.7% 6.2 days, respectively. percentage when seeds imbibed reduced osmotic potential; however, less pronounced from mM treatment, indicating lower dormancy. When evaluated after accelerated aging, high treatment showed greater longevity. These results contribute optimizing practices for seeds.