Selecting Good Quality

Seeds
JESHMARIE B. BALANSI
Let’s Define

Seed Viability- the ability of the seed to

germinate
Lodging- the bending of plants at the ground
level
The following are the desirable characteristics of
high yielding rice varieties
 Early maturity and non seasonal ( 100- 130 days from
seeding to maturity)
 Resistant to drought and lodging
 Nitrogen- Responsive ( this means that when you apply
nitrogen to the rice plant, the yield increases)
 High grain weight (6-7 mm)
 High milling recovery ( 66%- 70%)
The following are some rice varieties recommended for the different
region in the Philippines
 Luzon and Visayas ( except Bicol and Leyte) IR 36, IRR
42, IR 50, IR 56, IR 60, IR 62, BPIR 4, BPIR 10
 Bicol and Leyte- IR 36, IR 56, IR 60, IR 66
 Palawan- IR 13149 ( resistant against black bug)
 Mindanao- IR 56 and IR 66
Other characteristics in selecting good quality seeds

1. Genetic Purity- the seeds should not be mixed with other rice seeds
2. Physical purity of composition- Sees should be free from inert
matter, chaff and weed seeds. It must be clean.
3. Moisture content- the ideal moisture content of rice seeds for
sowing is 14%
4. Capacity of the seed to germinate or viability- the international
standards for viability require a minimum of 80% germination.
 4 classifications of agricultural seeds according
to their purity and quality
1. Breeder seed- this is the purest seed of rice varieties obtained through
selection, introduction and hybridization. Hybridization means that the
selected seed is planted and during the reproductive stage of, it is
crossed with another plant.
2. Foundation seed- is produced from breeder seeds in the government
seed farm where its varietal purity is maintained.
3. Registered seed- this seed is produced from the foundation seed.
4. Certified seeds- this seed is produced from registered seed.
 Sources of Good Seeds
1. Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)
2. Agricultural Productivity Commission (APC)
3. Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB)
4. Seed Grower- Co-operators in the locality
5. Reliable dealers or farm supplies
 Testing the viability of seeds
Many seeds fail to germinate because they have been kept
too long or under bad conditions, they were too weak to grow: or
too immature when harvested. Every plant grower should
determine the germinating power of seeds by testing them to
ensure high percentage of germination, minimize expenses, time
and effort.
Method of Testing Seeds

1. Rag Doll Method- this should be done before

sowing in the seedbed or before directly seeding
in paddy.
Steps in Rag doll method
 1. Prepare a clean measuring 5 cm x 15 cm and a stick 5- 8 cm long
 2. Prepare at least 100 seeds for testing. Do not select.
 3.Lay a rag on a flat surface an distribute the seeds evenly in a rows on
the rag.
 4. Roll the rag around the stick for support. Moisten the cloth and place
it in a warm- moist place.
 5.Unroll the rag 5 days after. Determine the germination rate following
the formula
% germination= No. of Seeds germinated x 100
No of seed sown
Examples:

1.