University of raparin

college of agricultural engineering sciences

department of horticulture
stage: four
subject:vegetable seed production

Agronomic principles of seed production

Prepared by:
AbdulqadrKhdrBayz

Supervised by:
Mr.Rebin Mahmood

2019/2020

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Table Content

Title Page no

1.theory 3

1.1:introduction 3

1.2:conclusion 12

1.3:references 13

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1.theory
Agronomic principles of seed production
Introduction
Vegetable seed production. This third edition includes summaries at salient points
within the first six chapters, dealing with the principles and practice of vegetable
seed production. A suggested further reading list is provided at the conclusion of
each of the 16 chapters. The general updating of this third edition has included
more detail on 'organic' seed and its production, and also considerations on
genetically modified organisms. The increased links between vegetables produced
from true botanical seed and those predominantly propagated vegetatively (i.e.
the resulting planting material which is often referred to as 'seed') have been
added to this edition in Appendix

Agronomic principles of seed production.

1.Selection of suitable agro-climatic condition
2.Selection of field and its preparation
3.Selection of variety
4.Isolation of seed crops
5.Seed treatment
6.Time and method of planting
7.Nutrition of the seed crop
8.Seed rate (lower seed rates for easy rouging )
9.Depth of sowing (small seeds sown upper , larger seeds at more depth)

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10.Weed control (clean seedbed, clean weed, use herbicide if required)
11.Irrigation of seed crop (moderate irrigation, stop 2 weeks before)
12.Pollination control (rearing honey bees aid)
13.Field inspection (one at flowering and another on grower request)
14.Rouging (rogue at vegetative, flowering and maturity stage)
15.Plant protection (disease and insect control)
16.Harvesting of seed crop (fully matured seed)
17.Drying of seeds (dry seeds upto 9-12 % )
18.Storage of seed (less than 21oC)
19.Seed packaging (seed packed in cotton, jute bag or plastic bag)

General Principles of Seed Production

Production of genetically pure & good quality pedigree seed is a task requiring
high technical skills & comparatively heavy finical investment.During seed
production strict attention must be given to the maintenance of genetic purity &
other qualities of seeds in order to exploit the full dividendssought to be obtained
by introduction of new superior crop plant varieties. Inother words seed
production must be carried out under standardized &wellorganized conditions.

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GENETIC PRINCIPLES

Deterioration of variety
Genetic purity (trueness to type) of a variety can deteriorate due to severalfactors
during production cycles. The best means to ensure genetic puritywould be to
overcome to the greatest possible extent the various factorsresponsible for
genetic deterioration. The important factors of apparent &real deterioration. The
important factors of apparent & real deterioration of variety as listed by Kadam
(1942) are as follows:-1.Developmental variation2.Mechanical
mixture3.Mutation4.Natural Crossing5.Minor Genetic Variation6. Selective
Influence of Diseases7.The Techniques of the Plant Breeder

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AGRONOMIC PRINCIPLES
Standardized seed production, besides genetic principles involves theapplication
of the following agronomic principles to preserve good seedquality& abundant
seed yields.

Selection of a Suitable Agro-climatic Region

A crop variety to be grown for seed production in an area must be adapted tothe
photoperiod & temperature conditions prevailing in that area. The cropvarieties
sensitive to photoperiodism & temperature should be grown inselected localities
where these could be economically produced.Regions of moderate rainfall &
humidity are much more suited to seed production than regions of high rainfall &
humidity. Most crops require adry sunny period & moderate temperatures for
flowering & pollination.Excessive dew & rain cause hindrance in normal
pollination resulting in poor seed set. Similarly too high temperature causes
desiccation of pollenresulting in poor seed set. If hot dry weather conditions
prevail duringflowering, many crops such as vegetables, legumes & fruit trees fail
to setseed effectively & produce many seedless fruits. The crops invariablyrequire
cool conditions with low atmospheric humidity to flower &pollinatenormally. In
wind pollinated crops bright sunny weather with gentle windswhich cause an
even flow of pollen over crop during flowering is conductiveto best pollination &
good seed set. Though other crops e.g. oil crops canwithstand hot periods during
flowering, but very high temperature results in premature flowering & production
of poor quality seeds. Similarly very coldtemperatures may also damage seed
quality especially in the early phases of seed maturation. In general regions with

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extreme summer heat & very cold winters should be avoided for seed production
unless particular crops areespecially adapted to grow & produce seed under these
conditions.Apart from complicating pollination, excessive rainfall leads to a higher
incidence of diseases & makes seed harvesting extremely difficult. It mayalso
result in delayed maturity &pregermiantion of seed in many standingcrops. As the
seed crop approaches maturity it becomes increasinglysusceptible to shattering.
Strong winds & heavy rainfall at or near harvesttime may cause heavy seed losses
particularly in crops which have atendency to shatter their seed readily. Such
conditions may also complicatethe harvesting & subsequent harvesting
operations.It is therefore clearly evident that ample sunshine, relatively
moderaterainfall& the absence of strong winds have decided advantages for
productive & high quality seed production & must be kept in view in theselection
of areas for seed production.
Selection of Seed Plot
The plot selected for seed crop must have following characteristics:-
a)
Soil texture & fertility of plot should be according to the requirement of the seed
crops. b)The seed plot should be free from volunteer plants, weed plants & other
crop plants.c)The soil of the seed plot should be comparatively free from soil-
bornediseases& insect pests.d)In the preceding season the same crop should have
not been grown onthis land, if it is so required by seed certification standards.e)It
should be feasible to isolate the plot as per requirements of certification
standards

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Examples Of The Best
Agronomic Practices
small plant
Agronomic practices are a vital part of farming systems. These are practices that
farmers incorporate to improve soil quality, enhance water usage, manage crops
and improve the environment. Agronomic practices focus on better fertilizer
management as a way of improving agricultural practices. The Lawn care york
practice the recommended agronomic practices.

Benefits of agronomic practices

agronomicProper usage of agronomic practices, decreases input costs in
producing farm products. Consequently, the quality and quantity of the yield will
increase significantly. The exercises also help the farmer in taking good care of the
environment by reducing pollution. Decreasing water usage and proper use of
fertilizer also contribute to maintaining the quality of land.

Examples of Agronomic practices

Agronomic practices incorporate many areas of conservation. In farming any
practice that entails conservation is an agronomic practice. Practices such as
reducing tillage managing plant population and controlling the use of water are
some of the major agronomic practices that almost every farmer has tried. The
changes in agronomy might be small, but the results of using the practices are

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massive. These routines nonetheless have yielded major dividends that farmers
have enjoyed

4 AGRONOMIC PRACTICES THAT PAY

1. Seeding rates and fertilizer
Seeding rates on most farms have been rising in recent years, especially in high-
yield environments. At the same time, farmers have been debating fertilizer rates,
particularly nitrogen (N). Should it go higher to support the higher stands and
yield goals?
2. Narrow rows
In theory, this spreads the plants out, giving less competition between plants and
allowing for higher plant populations. Coulter says Minnesota trials have
compared 30-inch rows with 20-inch rows.

“We maxed yields in those trials at about 34,300 plants per acre, with no
response to the narrower rows,” he says.

He’s also experimented with twin-row corn, comparing standard 30-inch rows
with twin rows spaced 22 inches and 8 inches apart. In theory, that, too, gives less
plant competition. In the Minnesota trials, though, little yield impact has
occurred.

3. Hybrid maturities
Longer-maturity hybrids of 105 days have shown a 10-bushel-an-acre yield
advantage compared with 95-day hybrids, says Coulter.
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“You have to balance that to drydown, though. For every one day added to
maturity length, we see about .25% to .50% wetter corn at harvest. There’s a line
in there where the extra yield of longer-maturity hybrids doesn’t pay for the extra
drying cost.”

Minnesota hybrid trials have evaluated 80 to 150 hybrids most years. Yield
differences between the top 10 hybrids and the lowest 10 hybrids have shown a
40- to 70-bushel-per-acre spread, Coulter says.

4. Starter fertilizer
Coulter sees inconsistent response to starter (10-34-0) applied at planting for corn
following soybeans.

“It’s not related to planting date or hybrid maturity,” he says. “I have to point out
that these research fields are pretty well fertilized already, and maybe that’s why
starter hasn’t consistently paid off. Greater frequency of yield response to starter
has occurred when corn follows corn and there are lower soil-test levels, when
the soil is fine textured, and when there is abundant surface residue at planting.”

Seed and Seed Quality

Seed quality plays an important role in the production of agronomic and
horticultural crops. Characteristics such as trueness to variety, germination
percentage, purity, vigor, and appearance are important to farmers planting crops

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and to homeowners establishing lawns and gardens. Achieving and maintaining
high seed quality is the goal of every professional seed producer.

This publication presents basic facts about seed, seed quality, and seed laws. This
information can help seed producers, farmers, and homeowners understand the
important role that seed plays in producing superior crops, landscape plants, and
lawns.

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1.2:Conclusion
Seed quality plays an important role in the production of agronomic and
horticultural crops.agronomicProper usage of agronomic practices, decreases
input costs in producing farm products.Vegetable seed production. This third
edition includes summaries at salient points within the first six chapters, dealing
with the principles and practice of vegetable seed production.

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1.3:References

1. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269694458_QUALITY_SE
ED_PRODUCTION_ITS_TESTING_AND_CERTIFICATION_STA
NDARD> [Accessed 25 June 2020].

2. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDNyTmZLz2k> [Accessed 25
June 2020].

3. Aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://aggie-
horticulture.tamu.edu/faculty/davies/pdf%20stuff/ph%20final%20gall
ey/Chap%205%20-%20M05_DAVI4493_00_SE_C05.pdf> [Accessed
25 June 2020].

4. Agriculturist Sujan. 2020. Genetic And Agronomic Principles Of Seed

Production. [online] Available at:
<https://agrisujan.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/genetic-and-agronomic-
principles-of-seed-production/> [Accessed 25 June 2020].

5. Betterseed.org. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.betterseed.org/wp-content/uploads/Best-Management-
Practices-Native-Seed-Production-FINAL-1.pdf> [Accessed 25 June
2020].

6. Cabi.org. 2020. Vegetable Seed Production.. [online] Available at:

<http://www.cabi.org/cabebooks/ebook/20093330163> [Accessed 25
June 2020].
7. Pastebin. 2020. Https://78.80.26.4:8080 Https://195.211.192.135:3128
Socks://116.115.91.48:667 - Pastebin.Com. [online] Available at:
<https://pastebin.com/YHfi4hy7> [Accessed 25 June 2020].

8. Sciencedirect.com. 2020. Seed Production - An Overview |

Sciencedirect Topics. [online] Available at:

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 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-
sciences/seed-production> [Accessed 25 June 2020].

9. Scribd. 2020. Principles Of Seed Production | Sowing | Plant

Breeding. [online] Available at:
<https://www.scribd.com/doc/45116237/Principles-of-Seed-
Production> [Accessed 25 June 2020].

10. University of California, D., 2020. Seed Production/Quality

Assurance. [online] Sbc.ucdavis.edu. Available at:
<http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/About_US/Seed_Biotechnologies/Seed_Produ
ction_Quality_Assurance/> [Accessed 25 June 2020].

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