Providing Quality Seed
Seed is a basic input in agriculture. Strictly speaking seed is an embryo, a living organism embedded in the supporting or the food storage tissue. In seed, the importance is given to the biological existence whereas; in grain the importance is given to the supporting tissue the economic produce.
As per Seed Act (1966) seed includes
- Seed of food crops including edible oil seeds and seeds of fruits & vegetables.
- Cotton seeds
- Seeds of cattle fodder
- Jute seeds
- Seedlings, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, roots, cuttings, all types of grafts and other vegetatively propagated material for food crops (or) cattle fodder
Importance of quality seed
- Ensures genetic and physical purity of the crops
- Gives desired plant population
- Capacity to withstand the adverse conditions
- Seedlings produced will be more vigourous, fast growing and can resist pest and disease incidence to certain extent
- Ensures uniform growth and maturity
- Development of root system will be more efficient that aids absorption of nutrients efficiently and result in higher yield.
- It will respond well to added fertilizer and other inputs.
- Good quality seeds of improved varieties ensures higher yield atleast 10 – 12 %
