Brief history of seed testing

Brief history of seed testing
    International
    • Organised seed testing started more than a hundred years ago as to avoid unscrupulous practices prevalent in the seed trade during the nineteenth century. The first lab for seed testing was established in Thrandt, in Saxony, Germany, in 1869 under the direction of Frederick Nobbe. A few years later in 1871, a seed testing laboratory was opened in Copenhagen, Denmark, under the direction of E. Moller Holst. Seed testing spread rapidly in Europe during the next twenty to thirty years. At the beginning of the twentieth century (1900) about 130 seed testing stations were operating in Europe. In the United States, the first seed testing laboratory was opened in 1876. In India, the first seed testing station was established in 1961.
    International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)
    • As seed testing developed, it necessitates for the establishment of common methods of testing that would secure uniformity in evaluation and test results. This leads to the formation of the International Seed Testing Association in 1924.
    • The primary object of ISTA is to develop, adopt and publish standard procedures for sampling and testing seeds, and to promote uniform application of them for the evaluation of seeds moving in the international seed trade. In addition, it also promotes research in all aspects of seed science and technology, including sampling, testing, storing, processing and distribution, ISTA, developed the International Rules for Seed Testing based upon scientific evidence.
    • The ISTA Rules for testing seeds are followed by its member countries. In carrying out seed testing work. The introduction of the International Seed Analysis Certificate, widely used in the international seed trade, is another important achievement.
    Association of Official Seed Analysis (AOSA)
    • The need for standardization of seed testing methods led to the formation of an organization in 1908, then known as Association of Official Seed Analyst of North America. The basic objectives of AOSA are to develop, adopt and publish rules for testing seeds, and to encourage research in seed technology.
    Seed Testing Laboratory
    • The seed testing laboratory is the hub of seed quality control. Seed testing services are required from time to time to gain information regarding planting value of seed lots. To carry out these responsibilities effectively, it is necessary that seed testing laboratories are established, manned and equipped in a manner such that whatever samples are received could be analysed in the least possible time, so that the seed quality control work and the need of seed industry are effectively met.
    Routine tests in STL
    • Purity
    • Germination
    • Moisture
    Types of samples received at STL
    1. Service sample - Sample received from the farmers
    2. Certified sample - Sample received from certification agencies or officers
    3. Official sample - Sample received from the seed inspectors.
    Seed sampling
    • Seed sampling is to draw a portion of seed lot that represents the entire seed lot.
    • Seed lot It is a uniformly blended quantity of seed either in bag or in bulk.

    Seed Size

    Maximum quantity per lot
    Larger than wheat and paddy 20,000 kg
    Smaller than wheat and paddy 10,000 kg
    Maize 40,000 kg
    Method of obtaining working sample from seed lot
    • Primary sample
    • Composite sample
    • Submitted sample
    • Working sample – used for actual testing is done in Seed Testing Laboratories
    Sampling intensity
    a. For seed lots in bags (or container of similar capacity that are uniform in size)
    I.
    • up to 5 containers→ Sample each container but never < 5 Primary sample
    • 6-30 “containers →Sample atleast one in every 3 containers but never > < than 5 P. S.
    • 31-400 “containers →Sample atleast one in every 5 containers but never < 10 P. S.
    • 401 or more →Sample atleast one in every 7 containers but never < 80.
    II.
    • When the seed is in small containers such as tins, cartons or packets a 100 kg weight is taken as the basic unit and small containers are combined to form sampling units not exceeding this weight e.g. 20 containers of 5 kg each. For sampling purpose each unit is regarded as one container.
    b. For seeds in bulk
    • Up to 500kg - At least 5 Primary sample
    • 501 3000 Kg - 1 Primary sample for each 300 kg but not less than 5 Primary samples
    • 3001 20,000 Kg - 1 Primary sample for each 500 kg but not less than 10 Primary samples
    • 20,001 and above - 1 Primary sample for each 700 kg but not less than 40 Primary samples

Last modified: Saturday, 24 March 2012, 7:27 PM