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Seed Production

Introduction

• The cost of cultivation of good variety seeds having best genetic characters is higher than the cultivation of commercial crop.
• To produce these seeds expert efficient hands are required.
• To get the best quality seeds special attention is needed during production of the seeds.
• Generally while cultivating the seeds commercially the genetic purity of the seed states reducing.
• To avoid this it becomes necessary to control the factors responsible for this reduction in quality.
• This difference occurs because of change in climatic factors like fertility of the soil, climate, duration of the sun light topography and the height from the sea level.
• During the operations like sowing, harvesting and processing are not cleaned properly which helps reduction of the quality.
• Mutation in the seeds also brings down the quality.
• National hybridization in the fields also brings down the quality of the seeds.
• Plants appearing same in shape also may have micro genetic differences.
• Diseases infections also reduces the quality of seeds.
• Releaseing of variety without evaluation is also one of the factor of reduction in seed quality.

Maintenance of genetic purity

• Only certified seeds should be used for multiplication.
• The field which are gaving to be used for seed production should be care fully inspectedand studied.
• Seed crop should be timely maintained and genetic characters should be imposed.
• Other plants, weeds plants and diseased plants (specially seed born) should be studied and removed.
• Clean seed samples should be collected and sealed.
• Certified seeds should be grown with foundation seeds for comparative study.

Things to remember

• The same crop should be grown in the same field in previous season.
• In one plot one type of crop should be grown for seed production.
• There should be lese isolation disclause between self pollinated crops and more in cross pollinated crops.
• Field should be free from weeds.
• Before seed formation all other plants from the field as well as from the surrounding area should be destroyed.
• To know the fertility of the soil, soil testing should be arranged and applied.
• At different growth stages the crop should be inspected by seed certifying agency.
• Care should be taken at the time of harvesting, threshing and cleaning so that seeds of another crops are varieties does not get mixed to the required seed.
• The implements and place used in production of seed should be nicely cleaned before use.

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Type Of Seed

• Seeds for sowing is developed by keeping in mind various requirements and genetic characters.
• Developed seed are grown in different climate.
• If they are proved according to the requirement then they are multiplied and distributed among the farmers.
• According to the genetic purity seed is divided into four categories.

Breeders Seed

• At breeders Stage by hybridization mutation or selection which seed is produced known as breeders seed.
• In these seeds genetic purity is at its maximum level.
• Because these seeds have greatest genetic purity, they are castly and available in very little quantity. Therefore these seeds are only given to the recognised institutions for multiplication.

Certified seed

• Certified seed is produced by foundation seed.
• Therefore these seeds are of third grade.
• Farmer gets this seed for commercial cultivation.
• These seeds are produced by two ways.
• Firstly by the recognized seed producing agencies.
• Secondly by the registered farmers on their forms under the able supervision of registering agencies.

Truthful seed

• These seeds are of the lowest grade. Which is not certified by any agency.
• In nonavailability dealer supplies these seeds to farmers.
• These seeds have physical purity and germination efficiency of certain standard.
• Generally in these seeds genetic characters are of required level but it depends on trust.

Sub standard seed

• Some time conditions like frast, drought, floods etc. reduces the quality of seeds.
• Same time seeds are not produced to fulfill the requirement.
• In such situation seeds of lower quality are certified according to lowest standards.
• These seeds are known as sub standard seed farmers uses them in case of na alternative.

Characteristics of good seed

• Seed should have genetic purity and seed size, colour, weight etc true to the type of variety.
• Seeds should have enough physical purity.
• Seeds should be free from any foreign material like drust, stones, weed seeds, broken seeds, shrivelled seeds and any other thresh.
• Seeds should be free from the seeds of other crops.
• Seeds should be taken from healthy and disease free crop.
• In diseased seeds germination's percentage is low and the plants produced by these seeds are week.
• Seeds should have high percentage of germination and plants produced by them should be healthy.
• Seed should not have moisture more than required level.
• Seeds stored at higher level of moisture have lowerate of germination.
• Seed should be healthy and bold according to the variety.
• Their and flat seeds produces week plants.
• Seeds should be free from the eggs of insects and diseases factories.
• Seeds should not be in dormancy at sowing time.
• Seeds should be collected from mature crop and should not be broken, pressed or deshelled or half ratton or effected by moisture.

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Agronomic principles of Seed production

Selection of right climatic area

• The sunlight duration, temperature, rainfall and relative humidity should be suitable to the crop.
• If it is not suitable, pollination, seed formation seed quality get affected and crops are also affected by diseases and insects.

Selection of the field or plot

• Field should be fertilized and should be able to supply the required nutrients to the crop.
• Field should be free from weeds and other plants.
• Soil should be free from insects and disease infection.
• The same should be free from insects and disease infection.
• The same crop should not be grown in the same field.
• Field should be levelled.
• According to the certification level plot should be isolated.

1. Isolation of the crop

• The crop raised as seed crop should be isolated from other crops.
• So that the mixture of genetic and physical nature could be avoided.
• Isolation distance differ from crop to crop.
• In wheat Isolation distance should be 3meters.

2. Land Preparation

• To cultivate the crop for seed production land should be prepared properly.

3. Selection of the variety.

• Variety should be suitable to the area.
• It should be have other characters like, drought resistance disease resistance, good quality seeds, short duration etc.
• Used seed should be of good genetic quality, physically cleaned and certified.
• Seed should be treated before sowing.
• Sowing should be done on time.
• Less seed rate should be used than commercial crop.
• Sowing should be done in lines by keeping row to row distance slightly more than the commercial crop.
• The unwanted plants like, plants of other varieties and diseased plants should be uprooted and destroyed.
• The weeds growing in side the field or around the field should be uprooted and destroyed.
• Insects and pests should be controlled on time.
• To full fill the required amount of nutrient enough amount of fertilizer should be applied.
• Should irrigate the field on time by proper method.
• Crop should be harvested, Threshed and cleaned at proper stage by proper method.
• Grain should be dried properly and arrangement of Storage should be make in safe and dry place.

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Seed Certification

• The field should be maintained frequently and unwanted and diseased plants should be destroyed.
• Availed mixing of seeds with other seeds after harvesting and samples should be collected.
• Collected samples should be sent to laboratory where it should be tested for test weight and moisture percentage.
• Seeds should be checked for physical purity and the material other than the seed should be collected in separate Bags and report should be made.
• Seeds should be tested for germination ability and retested and approved and the percentage of germination should be mentioned on the seed bag as well as on lable and tags.

Seed Certification standards

• Two types of standards are used in seed certification.
• General seed certification standards.
• Specific seed certification standards.

Advantages of certified seed

• Certified seeds produces more yield.
• These seeds are produced scientifically and all required characters are present in them.
• In sowing they are required or sown in lesser quantity.
• The plants developed from these seeds are strong healthy and uniform which results in higher yield.
• There should not be a mix of other crop seeds with these seeds, therefore we get a pure crop.
• Because there are no weed seeds in them the weed population is less in the field.
• Less incidents of diseases are seen in the crop raised by these seeds.

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