Role of Seed in Vegetable
Production

VEGETABLES CROP PRODUCTIVITY
Satisfactory results are reflected in a high yield of valuable products
resulting in economical profits

Many factors may affect the output of the cultivation
- Environmental conditions
- Soil characteristics
- Watering
- Fertilization
- Tillage
- Farmer
- Local and Global Market
- Others

The seed is the first determinant of the future plant
development.
The seed is the master key to success with the cultivation.

SEED
•A seed is a miracle of life.
•It is a tiny plant embryo combined with enough
stored energy to bring it to life.
• The main requirements are moisture, air and
warmth for its germination.
•The moisture softens the seed coat and allows
the seed to swell.

• Air or oxygen can then enter and the seed
begins respiration (to breathe)
• A process that releases the stored food
energy of the seed and makes it available to
the plant embryo.
• No fertilizer or light is necessary at this early
stage for most seeds.

• The plant embryo has limited food available.
• It has enough to break through the soil surface,
open its leaves and begin photosynthesis.
• It then immediately needs light.
• Fungal diseases may attack it, particularly if the
soil mix is too wet or heavy.

• Air is vitally necessary in the root zone for
successful germination and it occupies the
spaces between soil particles.
• If the growing medium is too wet all the air
spaces are occupied by water instead, if it is too
heavy there is little or no air space available.

• Seed quality is determined by germination and
purity analysis.
• By law, all crop seeds must be labeled for
germination percent, crop seed and the date of
germination test.
• Purchase seed stock from a reputable seed dealer
who has proper cleaning, handling and storage
facilities.

• Seeds are one of the least expensive but most
important factors influencing yield potential.
• Crop seeds contain all the genetic information to
determine yield potential, adaptation to
environmental conditions, and resistance to insect
pests and disease.
• One of a farmer's most critical management
decisions is the selection of seed source and
variety.

Importance
• Seed selection – choose the best
adapted hybrid for your area and
your needs.
• Plant population – ensure proper
planting distance; each hybrid you
choose has specific recommended
planting distance or seeding rate.
• Balanced fertilization – follow the
recommended fertilization rate for
your field; even better would be
soil analysis for your field.

• Pest control – timely and effective
control or management of
diseases, insect pests, and weeds
• Water management – take note
of the critical stages where your
needs the most water and where
it is most sensitive to water stress.

Quality of seed
• Improved variety
• Genetic purity
• Physical purity
• Seed germination and vigor
• Pure seed Germination (80-
85 %)
• Seed health
• Seed moisture

• Seed quality results from genetic, physical,
physiological and phytosanitary characteristics
of the seed
• Capacity to produce normal seedlings.
• Expected field emergence and uniformity
• Potential storability

• Seed lots that have low germination also are less
vigorous due to seed deterioration.
• Varietal purity indicates genetic purity of the
seed.
• Germination and seed size often are good
indicators of seed vigor.
• However, in the case of hybrid varieties, seed size
is sometimes not related to seed vigor.

Seed Quality
• Seed quality is determined by many
factors, principally seed purity and
germination.
• However, many other factors, such as
the variety, presence of seed-borne
disease, vigor of the seed
Seed purity
is determined by the amount of unwanted
material present in the pure seed.
• Contaminants such as noxious weed seed, unwanted
crop seeds.

Seed germination tests
• It assess the ability of the seed to produce a healthy pla
when placed under favorable environmental conditions.
• Germination tests are conducted under laboratory
conditions that assure optimum moisture, temperature a
light.
• Unfortunately, these conditions are seldom encountere
the field, and field emergence may be overestimated by
standard germination tests.

Seed Labeling
• If the seed has been treated a label must state
the seed has been treated.
• If the substance in the amount present is
harmful to human or other animals, a caution
statement such as
“Do not use for food, feed, or oil purposes”
• Toxic substances shall be labeled with a poison
symbol.

Terms that must appear on the label are:
• Varietal name and kind of seed.
• Lot number.
• Percentage by weight of pure seed.
• Percentage by weight of all weed seeds.
• Percentage by weight of all crop seeds.
• Percentage by weight of inert matter.
• Name and number per pound of restricted noxious
weed seeds
• The date of the germination test.

Seed types
Open Pollinated Seed:
Open pollinated seeds
come from plants that have been consistently
raised from same type of plant year after year

• Hybrid Seed:
Hybrid seeds are seeds grown
from the crossing of 2 parent plants to
produce a new offspring.
• Most hybrids are an F1 variety, meaning that
they are a first generation hybrid.

Standards of seed
• True to its kind or variety
• Contain a minimum of
impurities
• Have high establishment
rates in the field

• The high good quality seeds are
those which have genetic purity,
physical purity, health standards,
germiniability and moisture
percentage
• The farmer can increase
approximately 20% production
while he uses good high quality
of seed.

Farmer’s expectations can
only be achieved if the seed
is true to the selected variety

SEED SECURITY:
availability of the appropriate variety at the right
place and time, in sufficient quantity and quality
VARIETY TESTING:
may be aimed to identify the variety, to discriminate different varieties,
to check the genetic purity (SEED TRADE, CERTIFICATION SCHEMES)
or to provide a characterization of the variety (NEW VARIETIES)

Seed storability depends
on:
- storage conditions
(humidity, temperature)
- moisture content of the
seed
- initial quality of the seed
Poor storage conditions:
- the seed loses the ability
to germinate
Low moisture content of
the seed: quicker the loss
of viability

Moisture content
is one of the
parameters taken
into account
to determine the
market value
of seeds

A noxious weed infestation reduces
the yield (Beans)

Black rot in pepper