Seed Production of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops

Method of seed production

Varieties

• CO 1, CO 2
Season

• January – February and June - July
Spacing

• After proper ploughing, at a spacing of 2.5 x 2 m distance take pits having 45 cm length, width and height.
Manuring

• Ten days after that, apply 10 kg FYM and urea 30 g, super phosphate 72 g and potash 19 g per pit. Then mix the above nutrients with soil and fill the pits and level them.
Sowing

• Seed required for one ha (1kg/ha) may be treated with fungicides before sowing. Then five seeds may be sown in a pit at equal distance.
Growth regulator spray

• Spraying of ethrel at 200 ppm for four times starting from four leaves stage and at weekly intervals (i.e. 2.0 ml of ethrel in 10 lit of water) is recommended.



Figure 1. Optimum stage for spraying of growth regulators


Top dressing

• Apply 22g urea / pit 30 days after sowing as top dressing.
Plant protection
Red pumpkin beetle

• Spray methyl demeton 1 ml/lit.
Powdery mildew

• Spray carbendazim 0.1 %.
Yellow vein mosaic

• White flies spread this disease. To control the insect vector spray monocrotophos or chlorpyriphos 2 ml plus 2 ml neem oil per lit of water.
Roguing

• During vegetative, fruit formation and fruit harvest phases, roguing is attempted based on plant characters like height of plant, leaf shape, size, surface of leaf and fruit characteristics like length of fruit, size, shape and colour. Plants showing symptoms of yellow mosaic are also removed.
Harvesting

• Maturity index in pumpkin is change in fruit colour to orange or pale yellow colour.
• The harvests will be done in different pickings in pumpkin. Fruits confirming the genetic purity with medium to large size fruits should alone be used for seed extraction.



Figure 2. Correct stage for harvest


Seed extraction method

• Fruits weighing less than 1.5 kg should be rejected and can be sold out in the market as vegetable. Seed extraction is easy in pumpkin.
  
• First cut the fruits into two halves by crosswise.
  
• Then remove the seed by scraping and wash with water.

Figure 3. Fruits selected for separation of seeds



Figure 4. Seed separation by cutting the fruits

Seed cleaning and processing

• After proper drying seed processing should be done using BSS 4 wire mesh sieve or 16/64″ round perforated metal sieves.



Figure 5. Small and illfilled seeds


Figure 6. Good quality seeds

Seed treatment

• Prior to storage, seeds are mixed with Carbendazim 4g/kg or halogen mixture at 5g / kg and stored with moisture content of 6-8% in moisture vapour proof containers like thick polythene bag of 700 gauge or in tin / plastic containers that are sealed tightly.
  
• In case of short term storage (4-6 months) cloth or gunny will be sufficient.
• Minimum seed certification standards prescribed for cucurbits
Field standards

Factors	Foundation	Certified
Offtypes (maximum limit)	0.10%	0.20%




Seed standards

Factors	Foundation	Certified
Pure seed (min)	98%	98%
Inert matter (max)	2%	2%
Other crop seed (max) no/kg	None	None
Total weed seed (max) no/kg	None	None
Germination (min)	60%	60%
Moisture (max)	7%	7%
For VP Container (max)	6%	6%