Packaging, labeling and packaging materials of vegetable seeds

1. Department of Vegetable science
COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE, BAGALKOTE
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Couse title: Seed certification, Processing and Storage of vegetable seeds
VSC604 (2+1)
Topic: Seed Packaging, Labelling and Equipments used for packaging of
vegetable seeds.
Presented To
Mr. H. P Hadimani
Asst. Professor
Department of vegetable science
COH, Bagalkot
Presented By
Sanmathi Naik A T S
1ST Ph. D (Hort.)
Department of vegetable science
COH, Bagalkot

2. The process of filling, weighing and sealing of bags with seed
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3. Thompson regarded packaging as:
Seeds Handbook, Processing And Storage, By Babasaheb B. Desai
1. A convenient unit for handling, transporting and storing.
2. A protection against contamination, mechanical damage and loss.
3. A suitable micro environment for storage.
4. A barrier against loss of seed and escape of pesticides.
5. A sale promoter.
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4. VI. Seed Packaging, Bioversity international
Seeds are packaged to prevent absorption of water from the atmosphere
after drying, to keep each accession separate and prevent contamination of the seeds
from insects and diseases.
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5. The best time to package seeds is directly after the moisture content has been
determined and found to be within the required limits for safe storage.
Seeds will always show an equilibrium between their moisture content and the relative
humidity of the environment and therefore, if possible, seeds should be packaged into
containers and hermetically sealed in the drying room.
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6. Packaging of consists of the operations
Seeds Handbook, Processing And Storage. By Babasaheb B.
Filling of seed
bags to the
specified weight
Placing the leaflet in
the seed bag regarding
improved cultural
practices pertaining to
the cultivar
Attaching labels and seed
certification tags to the
seed bags and sewing of
the bags
Transportation or
the storage of the
bags
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7. Different containers and special equipments are available for sealing and
storage of seeds.
Storage containers for base collections should be hermetically sealed and
moisture-proof.
Cans, bottles, and laminated alluminium foil containers are all acceptable for
both base and active collections.
The techniques used will vary with the type of container and the equipment
that your genebank is using.
VI. Seed Packaging, Bioversity international
How seeds are packed?
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8. 1. Base collection
It includes maximum no. of accessions available in a crop.
Conservation upto long term like 50 years or more.
Stored at -18 °C hermetically sealed.
Moisture content 5%.
2. Active collection
Germplasm is actively utilized in breeding programmes.
Conservation upto medium term like 8-10 years.
Stored at -0°C.
Moisture content 8%.
3. Working collections
It is ultilized by breeders in their crop improvement programme.
Conservation upto short term 3-5 years.
Stored at 5-10 °C.
Moisture content 8-10 %.
Types of Seed Collection
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9. Objectives of Packaging
Product identification
Product convenience
Product protection
Product promotion
Attractiveness
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10. How many seeds should be packed?
The number of seeds to be packed for storage will depend on the species being
conserved and how often seeds will be removed for monitoring, distribution or
regeneration.
The FAO/ IPGRI Genebank Standards (1994) recommend that:
1. Material which shows little morphological variation (genetically
homogenous accessions): 3000 seeds are acceptable, but 4000 seeds are
preferable to represent each accession.
2. Materials showing large morphological variation (genetically heterogeneous
accessions): An accession should consist of at least 4000 seeds are preferred.
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11. In Genebanks, it is easier to work in
weights, but seed number can
easily be converted from
weights if the 100-seed or 1000-
seed weight is known.
For example, to determine the
number of seeds in a sample for
which the 100-seed weight is
known:
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12. Essentials of Good Packaging
Should be attractive
Should protect the content
Should be convenient
Prevention from adulteration
Extends product life
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13. 1. Kind of seeds to be packed.
2. Quantity of seed
3. Value of seed
4. Duration of storage
5. Seed moisture content
6. Storage environment
7. Period of storage
8. Cost of packaging material
9. Transport of seed
10.Geographical area where the seed will be stored
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Seeds Handbook, Processing And Storage, By Babasaheb B. Desai
The factors to be considered while selecting the
packaging materials
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14. 1. Moisture and vapour pervious container: These containers allow entry of
water in the form of vapour and liquid. These are suited for short term storage.
 e.g., jute bag, cloth bag, paper bag, multiwall paper bag, non-wooven bags
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15. 2. Moisture impervious but vapour pervious container
These allow entry of water in the form of vapour and not in liquid.
The seeds in these containers can’t be carried over for long period in hot humid
conditions.
e.g.; Polythene bags of < 300 gauge thickness and urea bags
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16. 3. Moisture vapour proof container
It is very much suitable for short or medium term storage and has given excellent results.
For e.g., polythene bags of > 700 gauge thickness, aluminium foil pouches, rigid plastics, tin
cans, glass bottles etc.
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17. Vapour proof containers: Moisture content for foundation and
certified seed recommended by Indian minimum seed standards
 Lower internal seed moisture is found beneficial in increasing seed germination
in vacuum packed and air-tight containers than cloth bags and polyethylene
bags.
 Higher seed moisture and relative humidity content are congenial for seed
metabolites as well as for growth of fungus.
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20. STEP 1. PREPARE FOR PACKAGING
Work in the drying room or, if not possible, expose the seeds to the ambient relative
humidity for the shortest possible time.
Write on the outside of each container or on an adhesive waterproof label.
Also prepare a label for inclusion with the seeds.
Record the accession number, date of storage, genus and species if required.
Use permanent markers for this.
VI. Seed Packaging, Bioversity international
Steps in seed packaging
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21. STEP 2. PACKAGE THE SEEDS
1. Weigh out or count samples of seeds to fit the containers used in your genebank.
2. Fill the labeled containers with the seeds. Add the label prepared for the inside.
3. Seal immediately, so that the moisture content of the seeds does not increase due to
equilibration with ambient relative humidity.
4. Note the weight or number of seeds in each container.
VI. Seed Packaging, Bioversity
international
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22. STEP 3. ENTER THE DATA INTO THE DATA FILES
 Enter the relevant data about each accession into the data file.
 The data should include number of containers per accession, number or weight of seeds per
container, type of container (if not standard) and the date of packaging.
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23. STEP 4. CHECK THE QUALITY OF THE CONTAINERS
After sealing, make a visual examination of each container to make sure that there is no obvious
damage and that the seals do not leak.
Any containers that are below standard should be replaced immediately.
At regular intervals the containers should be checked to see that they remain in good condition, check
should be carried out routinely once a year and that individual containers should also be checked
whenever they are removed from the genebank.
If containers are found to have been leaking and the relative humidity of the store was not controlled,
determine the seed moisture again and dry the seeds to required moisture content and enter the data in to
the file.
Check the inventory data file for the descriptor 'date of packaging' and make a list of any other
accessions which were packaged in similar containers on the same day or one day before or after.
Check the containers on this list for leaks and poor condition and replace any that are faulty using the
methods described above.
Remember that any containers removed from the cold store should be allowed to warm to room
temperature before opening. This may take several hours especially with large volumes of seeds.
VI. Seed Packaging, Bioversity international
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24. Fill the containers with silica gel and seal it in the same way in which seeds are stored.
Accurately determine the weight of the containers with an analytical balance.
Hold the containers over water (but not touching it) in a desiccators for about a week.
Remove the containers from the desiccators and allow the surface to dry.
Weigh the containers, record the change in weight and examine the colour of the silica gel.
If the weight of the containers remains constant, then they are moisture proof and the seal
is good.
If the weight of the containers increases and the silica gel has turned pale blue or pink,
then they are of poor quality or the seal is leaking moisture.
Adjust the seal and repeat the test to confirm the quality of the container.
Testing Quality of Containers
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25. Information Recorded on Seed Packaging
Date of packaging
Accession number
Type of container
Container number
Weight of container empty
Weight of container and seeds
Weight of seeds
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26. Labelling
All seed bags/ containers must carry information about
1. Crop
2. Variety
3. Class of seed
4. Address of the producer
Bags / containers should be labelled with tags according to the class of seed.
Seed tag should contain information about
1. Physical purity (%)
2. Genetic purity (%)
3. Moisture (%)
4. Germination (%)
5. Date of test
6. Valid upto
7. Net content
8. Price
These tags are attached to seed bags/ containers and they must carry signature of
authority under which seed have been produced.
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27. Genetically engineered (GE) seed
Genetically engineered seeds additional requirements:
1) Must identify the traits or characteristics.
2) Must list any safety requirements for handling, shipping and storage of the
seeds.
3) Contact for further information (name and address of manufacturer, distributor
or supplier of the seed).
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28. Treated seeds
1) Must state that the seeds have been treated.
2) Common chemical name of the applied substance.
3) Any cautionary statements if the substance is harmful to humans or
vertebrate animals.
4) If substance is toxic, a poison statement or symbol must be on the label.
5) If an inoculant has been used, the date of expiration of the inoculant must
be on the label
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29. Colour tags of different classes of seeds
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Breeder seeds
Foundation seeds
Certified seeds
Truthfully labeled seeds

30. Bar-coding is a computerized coding
system that uses a printed pattern of bars of
varying widths to uniquely identify
accessions.
Bar-codes are read by optically scanning
the printed pattern and using a computer
program to decode the pattern.
The data contained in a bar-code can vary:
in its simplest form, it can be just an
accession number while in other cases; the
bar-code can hold more elaborate passport
and inventory details
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31. Equipments Used in Packing
1. Seed Counting and Packaging
Machine
 Seed counting and packaging machine comprise
both a counting unit and a packaging system, all
combined in one revolutionary solution.
 It is a fully automatic, four channel counting
machine, designed for accurate and fast
counting
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32. 2. Automatic Seed Packing Machine (Robot)
This machine is very suitable for automatic filling and sealing of pre-formed and
printed aluminium laminated or synthetic sealable packets.
This machine is mostly used when large series of packets should be filled and
sealed. Minimum packet size 82 x 11 mm and maximum packet size 165 x 230 mm
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33. 3. Seed Packet Bundling Machine
This machine can be connected to almost any kind of seed packing machine.
This packet bundling machine is very suitable for automatic collecting of filled
seed packets. By means of a piece of elastic, the packets are bundled
automatically. The machine can handle packet sizes of maximum 215 x 165 mm.
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34. 4. Seed Packet Collecting Machine
This machine is used for automatic collection of filled packages in paper window
boxes.
This machine can be connected with our automatic seed packing machine (robot).
The paper box must be closed manually
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35. 5. Seed Weighing Scale
These weighing scales are used for accurate semi automatic weighing of
seeds.
Different models for different capacities are available.
Very suitable for packing small series/ orders and for seeds that cannot be
counted
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36. 6. Seed Weighing Machine
This seed weighing is used for automatic, accurate and fast weighing
of all kind of seeds.
This machine can be used as stand alone for manual filling, but also in
combination with our packing machines.
Different capacities are available
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37. 7. Mobile Seed Weigher
This seed weigher is used for automatic weighing of all kind of seeds.
This set-up is transportable and therefore can be moved easily to any other seed
department.
You can collect the seeds in bags or buckets
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38. 8. Bag Sewing System
These sewing systems are used for closing bags after filling them with seeds.
Mainly used for bags with a larger quantity of seeds (5-25 kg).
The machine uses cotton threads.
It can be used for open mouth bags made of paper, jute, polypropylene or
polyethylene.
It can be used for different bag sizes and can be set up to work together with our
weighing systems
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39. 9. Packet Sealer
This vertical belt sealer is suitable for sealing aluminium, PE, PP and thin
laminate packets.
Pre-made bags are sealed standing up, which is ideal for seed bags that would
spill if sealed laying flat
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Conclusion
Selection of proper packaging material will decides the storage
life, germination vigour of the seed.
Standardization should be done for packaging material should
be done for various vegetable crops of economic importance.

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