Important terminologies

         SOME IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES

Seed:- Any plant part which is used for commercial multiplication  of a crop is called seed. In other words, Seed is the product of fertilized ovule that consists of embryo, seed coat and cotyledon.

Seed Technology:- The science which deals with the methods of improving physical and genetic characteristics of seed.

Seed Production Technology:- A branch of plant breeding which deals with principles and methods of improved seed production.

Public Sector Seed Organisation:- The organization of central or state government dealing with seed production and marketing such as National Seeds Corporation, State Seed Corporation, State Farm Corporation, etc.

Private Sector Seed Organisation:- Various private seed companies dealing with seed production and marketing. There are about 400 to 500 private seed companies in India.

Scarification:- The process of softening seed coats to make it more permeable to water and oxygen. The 93% Technical Grade Sulphuric acid is used for scarification.

Stratification:- The process of exposing imbibed seeds to cool temperature conditions (5-10^oC) for a few days prior to germination.

Improved Seed:- The seed of a released and popular variety produced by scientific method; also called quality seed.

Variety:- A genotype which has been released for commercial cultivation either by State Variety Release Committee or Central Variety Release Committee.

Nucleus seed:- The initial seed of a released and notified variety which is always limited in quantity.

Breeder seed:-The progeny of either nucleus seed or breeder seed produced under the direct supervision of original plant breeder.

Foundation seed:- The progeny of breeder seed produced by NSC or SSC.

Registered seed:- The progeny of either foundation seed or registered seed. This category is omitted in India.

Certified seed:- The progeny of either foundation seed or certified seed.

Isolation Distance:- The separation of the field of a variety from that of another variety of the same crop by a minimum prescribed distance to avoid  contamination.

Roguing:- The process of removal of the off types plants from the field of an improved variety to avoid contamination.

Seed Certification:- A legal system which ensures availability of high quality seed of improved variety to the farmers.

Grow out Test:- A test which is conducted to assess the genetic purity of a variety during seed production.

Volunteer plants:- The plants which grow in the field from previous crops.

Seed Certification Agency:- A government organization which is authorized for seed certification. It may have its own seed testing laboratory or it may get its seed samples tested through seed testing laboratories.

Seed Certification Standards:- The minimum standards of isolation distance, genetic purity and germination required for the certification of seeds by the certification agencies.

Seed Testing:- The laboratory analysis of seed lot to determine its quality in terms of physical purity, seed health, germination and seed moisture content.

Seed Viability:- The capacity of seeds to germinate under favorable conditions in the absence of dormancy.

Sampling:- The process of taking a small portion of seed from the large seed lot.

Primary Sample:- The small portion of the seed drawn from the large seed lot. Several samples are taken from the seed lot to represent the composition of seed lot.

Composite Sample:- The seed sample which is formed by mixing all the primary samples of seed lot.

Submitted Sample:- The seed sample which is submitted to the seed testing laboratory for testing.

Working sample:- The seed sample which is drawn from the submitted seed sample to carry out the seed testing work.

Pure seeds:- The portion of the seed that belongs to the variety under testing.

Other seeds:-  Seeds of other variety of a crop, other crop seeds and weed seeds.

Inert matter:- Broken or damaged seeds, leaf bits, straw, soil particles, stones etc.

Normal Seedlings:- Seedlings with normal growth of root and shoot.

Abnormal Seedlings:- Defective seedlings that lack either cotyledons or have stunted root and shoot or their essential structures are so much decayed  that they cannot develop into normal plants.

Hard Seeds:- The seeds which do not absorb water. Such seed are common in Fabaceae and Malvaceae families. Seed coats of such seeds are impermeable to water.

Fresh Un-germinated Seeds:- These are viable seeds but do not germinate and remain fresh in germination test.

Dead Seeds:- These are nonviable seeds.

Seed vigour:- The general ability of seed lot to germinate normally over a range of adverse conditions.

Seed Storage:- The process of preservation of seed with initial quality until it is needed for planting.

Cryopreservation:- Storing of seeds in liquid nitrogen at -196^oC; also called as cryogenic storage .

Orthodox Seeds:- Seeds which will retain viability longer, when dried to low moisture contain (4 to 8%).

Recalcitrant Seeds:- Seeds which show very drastic loss in viability when dried to  moisture content below 12 to 13 % . Such seeds include coconut, mango, tea, coffee , rubber, jack fruit, oil palm, etc.

Mechanical Mixture:- The inadvertent mixing of seed of two varieties during threshing, transport, storage, ginning (in cotton) or sowing with seed-drill.

Varietal deterioration:- Permanent reduction either  in genetic or agronomic value of a released and notified crop variety.

Transgenic variety:- Seed or planting material synthesized or developed by modifying or altering the genetic composition by means of genetic engineering.

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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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