A GUIDE TO SEED TESTING

I. INTRODUCTION

Seed is a reproductive structure of flowering plants, conifers and various other plants. It develops from a fertilized ovule and comprises an embryo and a food reserve contained in a protective coat or testa . Strictly speaking, seed is an embryo a living organism embedded in the supporting or the food storage tissue. Seed is the cheapest, among the inputs used by the farmers. It is a basic input and forms only a small part of the total cultivation expenses. Yet without good seed the investment on fertilizer, water, pesticides and other inputs will not pay the required dividends

Seed testing is required to achieve the following objectives for minimising the risks of planting low quality seeds.

1.To identify the quality problems and their probable cause.

2.To determine their quality that is their suitability for planting.

3.To determine the need for drying and processing and specific procedures that should be used.

4.To determine if seed meets established quality standards or labeling specifications.

5.To establish quality and provide a basis for price and consumer discrimination among lots in the market. The primary aim of the seed testing is to obtain accurate and reproducible results regarding the quality status of the seed samples submitted to the seed testing laboratories.

Seed testing is determining the standards of a seed lot viz physical purity, moisture, germination and ODV thereby enabling the farming community to get quality seeds. The seed testing laboratory is the hub of seed quality control. Seed testing services are required from time to time to gain information regarding planting value of seed lots. Seed testing is possible for all those who produce seeds and sell seeds. There are 7 notified seed testing laboratories in Tamilnadu. They are situated at Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Dharmapuri,Thanjavur,Tirunelveli,and Kancheepuram.

The seed testing procedures provided in the national or International rules for seed testing serve as guide to seed analysis in carrying out the analysis of the seed samples. Three types of seed samples are received and tested in seed testing laboratories. They are

1.Certified samples

2.Official samples

3.Service samples

The samples are being tested for the following.

I .Physical purity - 1.Pure seed 2.Other crop seed 3.Weed seed 4.Inert matter

II. Germination: 1.Normal seedlings 2Abnormal seedling 3.Hard seeds 4.Dead seeds

III .Moisture test

IV. Other distinguishable variety test

Rs. 30/ per sample is being collected to carryout the above tests. Apart from the above 4 tests Seed health tests are also conducted at seed testing laboratories to identify the seed borne pathogens found in the samples