Corresponding author: jwpcarneiro@uem.br RESPOSTAS DE SEMENTES DE Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni AO HIDRO- E ORGÂNICO PRIMING Responses of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni SEEDS TO HYDRO- AND ORGANIC PRIMING Uhdre, R. S.¹; Lima, L. H. S.¹; Pereira, E. Q.; Carneiro, J. W. P.¹ Lima, J. H.¹ 1Universidade Estadual de Maringá – UEM, DAG. Av. Colombo, 5790, Bloco J-45, CEP 87020-900, Maringá, PR. Corresponding author: jwpcarneiro@uem.br INTRODUCTION Priming é uma técnica em que as sementes são pré-hidratadas com o objetivo de iniciar a germinação, porém sem a protrusão da radícula. (CARNEIRO, 2016; HEYDECKER; GIBBINS, 1978; BRADFORD, 1986). O uso desta técnica permite maior uniformidade assim como maior porcentagem de germinação e emergência de plântulas quando as condições são adversas. (HILHORST; LEPRINCE, 1998). Neste contexto, podemos citar o priming orgânico (CARNEIRO, 2016). Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) vem sendo estudado por causa de compostos ativos e reguladores de crescimento. Além disso minerais, hidratos de carbono e antibióticos são ingredientes ativos no extrato de algas marinhas, e que auxiliam no desempenho das sementes e na fisiologia da planta (WHAPHAM et al., 1993; MOLLER; SMITH, 1998). O pó de rocha também se destaca como alternativa para a reposição de nutrientes; trata-se de fontes de minerais de solubilidade mais lenta e que disponibilizam nutrientes por um período maior do que os fertilizantes convencionais (THEODORO; LEONARDOS, 2006). O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a porcentagem de germinação das sementes de Stevia rebaudiana após seis tratamentos com soluções orgânicas. RESULTS In the Table 1, only the parameters β10 β20 were significant (P≤0.05). The box-and-whisker plots indicate higher dispersion in the control than in the treatments. The reduced levels of conductivity of the priming solution may explain these responses. Table 1 – Parameter estimates of the models fit by the multinomial distribution. MATERIAL and METHODS Procedures A B C D Figure 1 – Replications of the solutions to seed imbibition of Stevia rebaudiana for 24 hrs (A); every experimental unity with 100 seeds (B); normal seedling and non-germinated seed (C); abnormal seedling (D). Figure 2 – Box-and-whiskers plots using the percentage of normal seedlings after imbibition of different solutions: 1.C-Control without any treatment; 2.DDW-Distilled and deionized water; 3.ASC-solution with Ascophyllum nodosum; 4.RDUST-solution with rock-dust; 5.ORG-solution from organic growing medium, and 6.STE-aqueous solution percolated throughout the ground stems of Stevia rebaudiana. Statistical analyses We fit the data to a regression linear generalized model with mixed effects where the treatments were the fixed effects and the conductivity level of every solution were the random effect. The Gamlss model is: where the logit was the link function following the models below: where π1i is the proportion of normal seedlings in the i-th experimental unity, π2i is the proportion of abnormal seedlings in the i-th experimental unity and π3i is the proportion of non-germinated seeds in the i-th experimental unity. CONCLUSION All of the aqueous solution promoted the uniformity of normal seedlings of Stevia rebaudiana under germination at 25 ᵒC. The uniform development of normal seedlings is important for the production of uniform bedding plants. REFERENCES BRADFORD, K. J. Manipulation of seed water relations via osmotic priming to improve germination under stress conditions. HortScience,v. 21, n. 5, p. 1105-1112, 1986. CARNEIRO, J. W. P. Scientific Report: Priming. Laboratory of Seed Science and Technology, Agro-ecology, and Sustainable Development, Universidade Estadual de Maringá: Maringá, 2016. 6 p. HEYDECKER, W.; GIBBINS, B. M. The priming of seeds. Acta Horticulturae, v. 83, p. 213-223, 1978.  HILHORST, H.; LEPRINCE, O. Germination: Topics I to IV. Lavras: UFLA, 1998. in: Seed Physiology course symposium UFLA/WAV Lavras- MG, Brasil, 19-24/10/1998). MOLLER, M.; SMITH, M. L. The applicability of seaweed suspensions as priming treatments of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds. Seed Science and Technology, 26:425–438,1998.  THEODORO, S. H.; LEONARDOS, O. H. The use of rocks to improve family agriculture in Brazil. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, v. 78, n.4, 721-730, 2006. WHAPHAM, C. A.; BLUNDEN, G.; JENKINS, T.; HANKINS, S. D. Significance of betaines in the increased chlorophyll content of plants treated with seaweed extract. Journal of Applied Phycology, 5:231–234, 1993.