SECURING AND TESTING

OF SEEDS
Common Method of Testing Seeds

 Rag doll method- The

rag doll or rolled
towel method is the
most practical method
of testing vegetable
and corn seeds. It
requires less room and
gives better result
The Dinner Plate or Blotter Method-

 The seeds are placed in a

plate of moist sand and
covered by another plate
or between two sheets of
moist blotting paper.
The medium surrounding
the seeds must be kept
moist and warm until the
test is over.
The Seed Box Method-

 Itconsists of a box
of sand about 12
cm deep of
convenient length
and width about 42
cm by 50 cm.
Percentage of Germination

 Count the sprouting seeds after three or more days, Do not count
weak sprouts, only those that germinated. Determine the percentage
of germination after seven days. To find the percentage of
germination of a particular seed, use the rag doll method of testing
seed.
 
No. of seeds that germinated
Percentage (%) of germination= ------------------------------------------ x 100
No. of seed sown
Example

 If 100 seed were sown and only 70 seeds germinated, the percentage of
germination will be as follow:
 
70 x 100
Percentage (%) of germination= ---------------
100
 
This means that 70% of the total number of seeds have
germinated.
 
Seed Testing:
Test seeds using the rag doll methods.
Procedure:
Get 100 seeds of mongo.
Moisten a piece of cloth.
Place the seeds in row on the piece of cloth and then roll the cloth.
Place the rag doll on the area where will not be unduly touched.
Moisten the rag doll every day.
After five days count the sprouting, do not count the weak sprouts only
those that germinated. Determine the percentage of germination using the
formula.
 
No. of seeds that germinated
Percentage (%) of germination= ------------------------------------------ x 100

No. of seed sown

 
 
Methods of Planting Seeds

 There are two ways of planting: direct seeding and

transplanting. The ways are done depending on the size
and variety of seed to be sown. For fruit trees, direct
seeding is done by planting the seed directly into the part
of the yard or garden where it is intended to be placed. In
transplanting, as in vegetables like pechay, cabbage and
mustard, the seed are grown in a nursery box. When two
or three leaves appear, they are transferred into the
garden plots where they are grown and harvested.
Steps in planting seeds

Direct seeding
 Small holes are prepared in an area
where they will grow.
 Placement of seed is guided by pole
markers on both ends. A string is
also used to make sure that the
growing plants would not be
overcrowded.
 Drop into the hole two or three
seeds which have been soaked
overnight in water.
 Cover each hole with loose soil
Transplanting
 The seed are planted first in
seedbed or seed boxes to produce
seedlings which are the transferred
into the site (field).
 Clean the area site.
 Cultivate the soil and remove
pebbles and grass.
 Elevate the soil to be used for
planting four or fifteen
centimetres from the ground.
 Add compost or organic fertilizer
to the soil.
 Prepare the holes where the
seedlings will be transplanted.
 Plant the seedlings and make sure
to water them carefully every day.
Propagation of plants

 Sexual propagation. This method makes use of

seeds. The seed are directly planted into the soil
and allowed to grow. Not all seeds, however, are
directly planted on the grown. Some seeds may
grow using other agents
 DIFFERENT AGENTS

 Animal Dispersal  Air Dispersal

 Water Dispersal  Mechanical Dispersal
Asexual Method

 This is the process of planting without using seeds. Some parts of the plant
are used to propagate a similar plant. There are different methods of doing
this. Some of these methods are the following:

 Cutting
 Grafting
 Marcotting
 Budding
 Inarching 
 Cutting- Some plants are
propagated by simple
cutting of stem and
planting it in to the soil.
Among these plants are
sweet potato, water
crepe, alugbati and
malunggay (moringa).
 Grafting- This is the
method of joining the
young branch or twig with
the mature one from the
same plant for them to
grow as one. This is
common done among
fruit-bearing trees like
mango, chico, calamansi,
santol and avocado
 Marcoting- This method is
a different form of
cutting. A stem of a new
plant is allowed to form
roots while it is still
attached to the mother
plant. When the roots are
fully formed, the stem of
the new plant is cut and
transplanted.
 Budding- This process
of transferring the
lateral bud taken from
scion of a mother tree
to the stock of the
seedlings or a small
branch of a large tree
of the same family or
genus.
 Inarching- Is the surer way
of improving or multiplying
fruit trees even for a
beginner. It is done by
taking a root stock with
around one centimeter in
diameter. Then select a
branch of the same size of a
good fruit bearing tree
grown in the ground or in
the container.
 
Not all vegetables or field crops can be transplanted, directly seeded or
asexually planted. The table below is the classification of selected farm
crops according to their method of propagation.
 
Direct Seeding Transplanting Method Asexual Method

Corn Pechay Kangkong

Okra Mustard Alugbati
Peanuts Lettuce Sweet potato
Squash Celery Banana tree
Cucumber Tomato Malunggay
Upo Eggplant Sugar cane
Patola Onion Cassava
Ampalaya Sweet pepper Yam
Kulitis Head lettuce Potato
Radish  
Patani
Winged beans
Sayote