Seed quality; Definition, Characters
of good quality seed
Seed Quality
• Seed quality is the sum of all those attributes which
differentiate the seed from grain.
• The importance of seed quality has been recognized
with the inception of agriculture
• ‘Subeejam Sukshetre Jayate Sampadyate’ Good
Seeds on good land yields abundant produce.
• Concept was first advocated by Professor Friedrick
Nobbe of Germany in 1869.
Parameters of Quality Seed
• Improved Variety / hybrid
• High Genetic Purity
• High Physical Purity
• High Germination
• High Vigour
• Free from Seed-borne pathogens
• Value-addition
• Safe moisture content
Planting Value of Seed
The Concept of Seed Quality Testing
The concept of seed testing on scientific lines
dates back 1869 when Professor Friedrich
Nobbe in West Germany advocated that the
seed must be tested prior to sowing.
Nobbe’s hypothesis was based on scientific
investigations made by him on the vegetable
and flower seed samples offered for
marketing in European Countries
Concept of quality seed in India
• The production and distribution of high quality seeds – recommendation of ‘Royal
Commission on Agriculture in 1925
• Introduction of high yielding and dwarf varieties of wheat and rice and hybrids in maize,
sorghum and pearl millet in 1960’s
• Establishment of ‘National Seed Corporation (NSC) in 1963
• Establishment of ‘State Farms Corporation of India (SFCI) in 1968
• GOI passed the Seeds Act (1966) and Seed Rules (1968)
• Seed Control Order (1983) was passed to control the persons involved in seed business
through the compulsory licensing
• Relaxation of the restrictions on importing of seed through New Seeds Policy (1988)
• Proposal of “New Seeds Bill 2004” – combining Seeds Act (1966), Seed Control Order
(1983) and New Seed Policy (1988)
Indian Seed Act 1966
• To control the quality of seed during production and marketing,
Govt. of India enacted Seed Act in 1966 and framed the Seed
Rules in 1968. For effective implementation of the act, major
provisions are:
• Central Seed Committee
• Minimum Seed Certification Standards
• Certification voluntary but labeling is compulsory
• Label should contain necessary information
• Central Seed Testing Laboratory
• State Seed Testing Laboratories
• Central Seed Certification Board
• Central Seed Certification Agency
• State Seed Certification Agencies
• Seed Inspectors
• Seed Analysts
Indian Minimum Seed Standards
1971
• Includes standards both field level and seed level
• These standards were revised in 1988 & now in
2013 along with inclusion of more crops
• Since, it is not possible to maintain 100%
purity hence, need for devising Minimum Field/
Seed Standards with out loosing seed quality/
potential.
• Standards should be “Achievable”.
• Two words used - Minimum - For desirable
• Maximum- For un-desirable
Seed Production System
Physical Purity
The raw seed obtained after harvesting and threshing contains
certain admixtures, such as soil, stone pieces, flower stalks,
broken seeds and pieces of leaves, barks, chaff and other
foreign material together with seeds of other crops and weeds.
These admixtures makes the harvested seed unfit for sowing or
storage and reduces the planting value of the seed lot. During
storage, the extraneous matter present in the seed lot serves as
the places for harboring the spores of saprophytic fungi which
may cause the loss of seed viability. Therefore, the harvested
seed must be cleaned and processed to remove the admixture.
The physical purity status of the seed lots is judged by the pure
seed, weed seed other crop seeds and inert matter contents.
The pure seed content in a seed lot should be high and those of
other crop, weed seed and inert matter should be minimum for
obvious reason.
Physical Purity
Germination
• Use of seeds having low germination will reduce
the field establishment or stand resulting into
low yields.
• Seed germination is affected by a variety of
factors like seed formation, maturation,
ripening, such as, infection with pests and
pathogen, sub-optimal conditions of nutrients and
water supply and untimely rains or frost at the
maturity stage.
• Post-harvest operations / handling of the seed
lots during marketing or distribution also affect
the seed quality.
Moisture
• The life of the seeds revolves around the seed moisture
content.
• The moisture content of the seeds should not be too
high or too low.
• Moist seeds are difficult to thresh and will deteriorate
at the faster rate.
• Similarly if the seeds are too dry, it may shatter in
the field and thereby reduces the yields.
• Seed moisture content should be brought to the
desirable level, through drying (natural or artificial)
enabling to preserve their viability in storage and
avoiding the spoiling by insects and pathogens.
• The moisture content also determines the choice of
the packing material for marketing or storage purpose
Seed Health
• Seed health is also an important seed quality attribute,
especially under tropical and sub-tropical conditions.
• Quality seed should be free from pests and pathogens.
• Infection of seed by pests and pathogens may affect
germination and vigour and thereby reduce the yields.
• In a seed certification scheme, the tolerance limits for
the designated seed-borne diseases of the vegetable and
field crops have been provided to avoid economic losses.
• Seed treatment with fungicide is a regular practice for
controlling the disease organisms.
Seed Vigour
• The performance potential of a seed lot with reference
to field establishment is very much dependent on the
capacity of the seed to germinate, emerge and
establish under sub-optimal field conditions.
• This ‘performance potential’ called seed vigour.
• The field establishment of two seed lots of the same
cultivar having same germination percentage, may
not necessarily be the same upon planting.
• One seed lot may give rise to good emergence and
establishment while the other may fail to do so in the
same field.
