Agriculture and Agribusiness

Seed Production, Quality and Certification

Seed is the one input whose failure cannot be corrected during the season, and a farmer who plants poor seed discovers it at emergence with the land already committed. This course covers producing seed that performs. Delegates work through seed classes from breeder through foundation to certified, and the genetic purity each level must maintain. Isolation distances and the pollination biology that makes them necessary are addressed by crop. Field production follows, including roguing, the inspections a certification scheme requires and the records that support them. Harvesting and threshing are covered with the mechanical damage that quietly destroys germination. Drying and moisture content are addressed as the principal determinants of storage life. Processing follows through cleaning, grading, treatment and packaging. Seed testing is covered in detail: germination, purity, moisture, vigour and tetrazolium testing. Storage and the temperature and humidity that govern longevity are addressed. The course closes on labelling, on certification requirements and on investigating a germination complaint.