Seed Info

Plant Breeding

Plant breeding is the art and science of changing the traits of the plant in order to produce the desired characteristics. Plant breeders apply various techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to more complex molecular techniques. Through these techniques, plant breeders can gather as many desired traits and get rid of some undesired traits in a variety, such that the variety can meet the diverse market requirements such as high yielding, good marketability, good eating quality and flavor, good adaptation to various climatic conditions, good disease resistance or tolerance.

Plant breeding is not the same as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We would like to emphasize that the varieties we are selling are bred by conventional planting breeding methods and they are not GMOs.

Seed Production

Seed production is key to supplying the high quality seed. Once a plant variety proceeds to be commercialized, the seed producers bulk up the seed of parent line(s). They are applying various measures to protect the genetic integrity of the stock seed. The stock seed is then sent to some appropriate production area to produce the commercial hybrid or OP seed depending on the species. Throughout the commercial seed production, the seed producers make use of different techniques such as grafting, artificial emasculation, mechanical emasculation, offtype roguing, insect or artificial pollination, isolation (time and distance) and so on, to ensure that the pollination occur amount plants of interest only.

Seed Processing

Seed processing involves cleaning the seed samples of extraneous materials, drying them to optimum moisture levels, testing their germination and packaging them in appropriate containers for conservation and distribution.

Seed cleaning involves removal of debris, low quality, infested or infected seeds and seeds of different species (weeds).

Seed drying involves reduction of moisture content to the recommended levels for storage.

Seed Quality

Seed quality is determined by many factors, including seed physical purity, genetic purity, seed germination and seed vigor. Seed physical purity is determined by the amount of unwanted material present in the pure seed. Contaminants such as noxious weed seed, unwanted crop seed or inert matter not only increase production costs, but also substantially reduce the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Seed germination tests assess the ability of the seed to produce a healthy plant when placed under favorable environmental conditions. Germination tests are conducted for a prescribed time period under laboratory conditions that assure optimum moisture, temperature and light. The requirements for germination vary with species.

Seed genetic purity indicates the trueness of the type. It is best evaluated through a field trial in which the percentage of offtypes in the seed lot is determined. With the advent of molecular methods, there is increasing application of molecular markers to determine the genetic purity.

Seed vigor is the sum total of all those properties in seed which upon sowing result in rapid and uniform production of healthy seedlings under a wide range of environments, including both favorable and stress conditions. Vigor tests supplement information about seed quality.

Seed Health

Seed may also contain plant pathogens or agents that can cause disease in plants. These diseases may affect storage, vigour, germination, market availability, harvest yield. There are many ways to test seed health. The most common is incubation tests. The seed is pretreated and plated on the specialized media, which favor the growth of the organism being looked for. The plates are then incubated and examined. Visual tests can be used to spot disease bodies in seed lots. DNA and immunoassay tests, which looks for genetics of a pathogen, can also be used.

Seed Treatment

Seeds are treated to kill some seed borne disease-causing organisms, and to protect the seedling growth after transplanting. Fungicide dusts can protect seed from soil-borne organisms and are sometimes used to control organisms on or in the seed. Hot water treatment can kill a wide range of bacteria, fungi and viruses in or on seed of many crops. For particular problems, insecticide dusts can be used.