PRE AND POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT OF SEEDS

AMONG HORTICULTURAL CROPS

Dr A K Tiwari Sr. Scientist, Floriculture and Lanscaping

Directorate of Seed Research

DIRECTORATE OF SEED RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION “SUBEEJAM SUKSHETRE JAYATE

SAMPADDYATE”. “GOOD QUALITY SEED SOWN IN

GOOD FIELD YIELDS IN PLENTY”. NOTHING CAN IMPROVE IF SEED

IS NOT GOOD. ALL PRODUCTIVITY MOVES

AROUND SEEDS POTENTIALS.

INDIAN SEED INDUSTRY

40% PUBLIC SECTOR

60% PVT SECTOR75%

ORGANISED 25%

UNORGANISED

70% SAVED SEEDS

30% MARKETED SEEDS

Size=Rs.14000 crore seed industry

Decision MakingDecision Making

Changing NeedsChanging Needs

Quality Management Quality Management

PricingPricing

ForecastingForecasting

Proactive ResearchProactive Research

Timely AvailabilityTimely Availability

After Sales ServiceAfter Sales Service Complaint HandlingComplaint Handling

BURNING ISSUES BURNING ISSUES

FOCUS ISSUES OF FUTURE QUANTITY vs. QUALITY VOLUME vs. VALUE GMO vs. NON GMO SUBSISTENCE vs.

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE vs. INDUSTRY

mid 1980s - 1990s

Seed industry boomed as a result of several Govt. initiatives

Foreign direct investment allowed and encouraged

Imports of improved varieties and breeding lines liberalized

Trade regulations liberalized

Current statusThough nascent, yetprivate sector accounts for 70% turnover in seed domestically and is internationally recognised

Due to varied agroclimatic conditions and natural resources, R&D hubs are being created. Almost 1/3 companies have a global technology/ financial partner

Private seed companies are spending 10-12% of their turnover in R&D

R&D budget of medium sized companies is growing @ 20% p.a.

1960s – mid 1980s

Minimal private sector partici-pation

R&D in public domain

Restrictions on germplasm exchange, foreign ownership, etc.

Evolution of the Indian seed industry

EVOLUTION OF SEED TECHNOLOGY

MASS

SELECTION

GMO SEEDS

HYBRID SEEDS

IMPROVEDVARIETIES

HYBRID SEEDS

WITH VALUE

ADDITION

SYNTHETICS

The Seed Industry Today

1.Increasing global seed market

2.Growing use of hybrid seed with several technological components(e.g. seed coatings)

3.Growing international seed trade

4.Increasing number of regulations

5.Increasing number of multinational companies

Global Seed Market Split

Cotton 3%

Canola 5%

Vegetables 18%

Corn 32%

Rice 10%

Other 6%

Potato 4% Sunflower 2%

Barley 2%

Sugar Beet 2%

Wheat 4%

Soybean 12%Tomato fresh indet. 11%

Cabbage 7%

Sweet pepper 7%

Lettuce 7%

Watermelon 5 %

Onion 5%

Seed Vegetable seed

Melon 5 %Chinese cabbage 5 %

Hot pepper 5%Carrot 4%

Tomato fresh set. 3%

Internal assessment

CROP IMPROVEMENT

EVOLUTION vs. REVOLUTIONSlow RandomStability ?Focus ?Environment

GERMPLASM BASE

VARIETAL BREEDING

PEDIGREE BREEDING

G x E INTERACTION

ACCESSION OF GENES

GENETIC TRANSFORMATION

ACCELERATED INTROGRESSION

THROUGH MAB

Fast SpecificStableFocused

GENE HUNTING

Discovery research

Lab research (REFINEMENT)

Transformation Protocol Development

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

GENE CLONING

GENE FUNCTIONS

GENEMODIFICATI

ON

GENE CONSTRUCT

Regeneration protocol developmentof target plant species Transformation stabilization

Selection of best transformtionfor fertilizationProduct development with

trait

SEED PRODUCTION ISSUES

• Large area for seed production to achieve the SRR targets

• Seed production systems have to be improved

• Seed production contract should be legal to avoid cross purchases

• Seed production per unit area needs improvement

• CMS or other systems to be introduced in some crops like cotton and many vegetable crops

• Seed production areas should be ear marked as seed valleys

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

1. Visible aspects (In case of plants propagated

through budding or grafting. e.g.: rose, Mango etc.)

Homogeneity of plants

– growth differences in the production field. Source of

rootstock and bud wood is important.

Diameter of rootstock indicates the grade of rootstock

and quality of the growth process.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds ProductionWell-developed fibrous root system.

Strong outgrowth of bud or graft.

No mechanical damage, no visible pests and diseases.

Healthy appearance. No growth abnormalities, green

branches.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

2. Intrinsic aspects

1.Strong physiological potential.

Stress-free growth during the plant production period

will enable the plant to re-grow easily after planting in

the field or green house, because plants have stored

reserve food.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

2. Healthy reproduction material and genetic

Homogeneity. Selection of source for reproduction

material is based on healthy growth and material i.e.

bud wood and root stock, true to variety.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

3. Free of non-visible diseases

Agrobacterium, Verticillium. uprooted, these

diseases, if in the early stage, are not visible. During

the plant production process this has to be controlled.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

3. Sources of quality planting materiaShould be collected from the genuine and reliable source. Efforts should be made to identify nodal centers for supply of elite planting material of important ornamental plants in our country. 4. Nursery preparation and sowing of seeds

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

5.Genetic Integrity:

•Properly identify and label plants.

•Plant on clean land which has not been used to grow

the same crop in the past cycle.

• Isolate plants from cross-pollination.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

4. Plant at least 200 plants for cross-pollinated crops

and 50- 100 plants from self-pollinated crops (this

number varies dependent on who you talk to).

5. Rogue off-types. Rogue:

Rogue plants should be removed as soon as possible in

order to protect the genetic integrity of the variety.

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

5. Reproductive Isolation

i.Isolation strips

ii.Distance Isolation

iii.Caging and Artificial Barriers

iv.Time Isolation

Various aspects of Pre- Harvest Management of Seeds Production

5. Hand-pollination

B. Post Harvesting management of seeds of Horticultural

Crops

Labels and Records:

Harvesting Methods

Seed Cleaning

Seed Storage

Germination Testing