About seed quality enhancement which describes about various techniques regarding seed quality enhancement.

About seed quality enhancement which describes about various techniques regarding seed quality enhancement.

1. Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur MAJOR ADVISOR Dr. A.L. Jatav DEPARTMENT Seed Science & Technology ,CSAUA&T, Kanpur NAME : Mahima Singh Id No.: CA-11639/2020 DEPARTMENT Seed science & technology, CSAUA&T, Kanpur Topic :- Seed Quality Enhancement Techniques

2. Overview of seminar Introduction Seed enhancement-Definition Seed Quality Enhancement Techniques – Objectives Why treat seeds ? Seed enhancement techniques Conclusion

3. Seed enhancement-Definition Seed invigoration or seed enhancements are ‘post-harvest’ treatments to improve germination and seedling growth or help in the provision of seeds and other materials required at the time of sowing.

4. Where and when it is needed? Problematic seed. High value of seed. Specific planting technique. Biotic stresess . Direct seeding. Adverse climatic conditions.

5. Seed enhancements – objectives Reduced seed rate. Early emergence and reduced time of emergence under stress conditions. Supply of growth regulator/ nutrients & beneficial microbes. Better nursery management. Helps seedlings to dominate weeds in competition for nutrition.

6. Cont……. Field stand and uniformity. Direct seedling of conventionally transplanted vegetable seeds. High turnover.

7. Why treat seeds ? Higher yield Often pays for itself Improved crop quality Against disease Pest protection with safeguard with lower environmental impact A smart way to apply anti-pest products Smooth machinery operation Easier handling

8. Thermal treatments A. Heat treatments Control the external and internal seed-borne pathogens including fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes. Break the dormancy of seeds.

9. Cont…. B. Pre-sowing chilling Also called cold stratification. Cold treatment releases the dormancy and enhance plant tolerance to salt stress. The beneficial effects of cold stratification could be attributed to ionic homeostasis and hormonal balance.

10. Seed priming

11. Seed priming Seeds are hydrated in a controlled manner to provide enough water to initiate the metabolic processes of germination, but not enough to allow germination to be completed. Improvements in germination speed and/ or uniformity common with primed seed lots.

12. Hydropriming Seed soaking in tap water (with or without aeration) and re-drying to original weight. No chemical is used. Environmently safe.

13. A . On-farm seed priming Farmers can prime their own seeds. Seeds are soaked in clean water, usually overnight (about 8-12 hours). After soaking, the water is drained off and the seeds are surface-dried by placing them on a cloth or plastic sheet on the ground for 15 to 30 minutes.

14. B. Hardening Repeated soaking of seeds in (aerated) water and re-drying. This hydration-dehydration cycle may be repeated twice, thrice and so on.

15. Osmopriming ( osmoconditioning ) Seeds are incubated in well aerated solutions with a low water potential, and afterwards washed and dried. PEG is preferred osmoticum due to large molecular size and inert form which precludes it from being taken up by the embryo.

16. Halopriming Soaking of seeds in salt solutions was proposed as alternative to priming which enhanced germination and increase seedling emergence uniformity under adverse environmental conditions. Commonly used salts are NaCl , KNo3, CaCl2.

17. Hormonal priming Soaking of seed in an appropriate concentration of hormones (GA, Auxin , Kinetin, Salicylic acid ) before radicle protrusion.

18. Matrix priming ( matriconditioning ) Incubation of seeds in a solid, insoluble matrix (vermiculite, diatomaceous earth) with a limited amount of water. Soil matrix are carriers e.g. press mud, peat soil, compost, jute mat.

19. Seed coating

20. Coating Application of materials to the seed surface, often containing seed protectants such as fungicides. A major advantage of film coating is reduced loss of active material from the seed during seed transport and handling.

21. Seed pelleting

22. Seed pelleting Inert material are added to change seed size and shape for improved plant ability. Used to round out small or irregular shaped seed, or to make small seeds larger- improves singulation and speed of sowing.

23. Cont …. Seed in rotating drum is wetted, and blends of powdered materials (e.g. chalk, clays, perlite , lime, peat) plus water-attracting or hydrophobic materials are added, along with more water, until desired pellet wt or size increase is achieved. Wet-coated seed then dried with air, usually in separate equipment.

24. Encrusting Addition of a small amount of seed material to a seed to enable accurate mechanical seed metering. Encrusment is most often used on crops that benefit from seed singulation but don’t require post- emergence thinning. Encrusting adds more weight to the finished product than film coating and significantly less weight than pelleting . Apply a minimum amount of filler materials and blinders, whist still increasing the size of the seed, and filling out any irregular shapes and surfaces.

25. Conclusion Improve seed sowing, germination and seedling growth by altering the physiological state of the seed. Improve vigor or the physiological state of the seed by enhancing uniformity of germination. Enhance disease resistance in seeds. Enhance seed vigor and modify seed emergence capabilities.

26. Cont… The seeds pelleted with different chemicals recorded significantly higher growth parameters over unpelleted seeds. Minimum toxicant used. Minimum environmental impact. Minimum wildlife and other organism exposure.