The objective this research was to evaluate the effect of storage under modified atmosphere (MA), passive and active, on seeds physiological attributes of Euterpe edulis Martius. The treatments evaluated were: T1-control (without packaging); T2-low density polyethylene (LDPE); T3-LDPE + CO2 scrubber; T4-LDPE + N2; and T5-LDPE + CO2 scrubber + N2. Treatment T2 was passive MA storage, T3, T4 and T5 was active MA. Seeds were stored during 150 and 480 days at 7ºC. After 150 days of storage, MA treatments (active or passive) resulted in higher values of germination, speed of seedling emergence (SSE), moisture content and shoot and root length, and lower electrical conductivity than the control. After 480 days of storage, seeds stored in LDPE, LDPE + N2 and LDPE + CO2 scrubber + N2 had the highest germination and the lowest electrical conductivity. Seeds of LDPE and LDPE + N2 showed the highest values of SSE, moisture content and shoot and root lengths. There was no significant difference between MA treatments for moisture content of the seeds, but these treatments had higher moisture content than the control. MA preserve quality of the Euterpe edulis seeds for 150 days of storage. In storage for 480 days, passive and active MA with injection of N2 presented the best storage conditions of Euterpe edulis seeds.
Euterpe edulis Martius; recalcitrant seeds; germination; vigor
