Quality seed is defined as varietally pure with a high germination percentage, free from disease and disease organisms, and with proper moisture content and weight. Quality seed ensures good germination, rapid emergence, and vigorous growth. The use of quality seed helps greatly in higher production per unit area to attain the food security of the country. Quality seeds have the ability for efficient utilization of inputs such as fertilizers and irrigation.
Producing quality seeds is an effective tool to address the issues of self-sufficiency, food security, and economic development. For the assessment of quality seeds, the main things that matter are the purity, germination, and moisture content of the seed lot. For that, certified seeds are highly used, which really have purity. If certified seeds are available for farmers, then it can be advantageous for them in many perspectives like uniform plant population and maturity.
Importance of quality seed production
Quality seed is a vital input in crop production. Quality seeds are important to unfold the potential yield performance of the species and variety. The importance of quality seed production can be summarized as:
1) It is the cheapest input in crop production and key to agriculture progress
2) Crop performances largely depend on the seed materials used for sowing.
3) Response of other inputs in crop production depends on seed material used.
4) The seed required for raising crops is quite small and its cost is so low compared to other inputs.
5) It is estimated that good quality seeds to improved varieties can contribute about a 20-25% increase in yield.
6) Less infestation of land with weed seed/other crop seeds.
7) Minimization of seed/seedling rate i.e., fast and uniform emergence of the seedling.
8) They are vigorous, free from pests and disease.
9) They can be adapted themselves for extreme climatic conditions and the cropping system of the location.
10) The quality seed respond well to the high fertilizer dose
11) Good seed prolongs the life of a variety.
12) Yield prediction is very easy.
There are four basic parameters to seed quality attributes:
-Physical qualities of the seed in the specific seed lot.
-Physiological qualities refer to aspects of the performance of the seed.
-Genetic quality relates to specific genetic characteristics of seed variety.
-Seed Health refers to the presence of diseases and pests within a seed lot.
Sustainable agriculture and seed quality
The excessive and ever-increasing population is the growing concern from the last few years and it is creating major pressure in the Agriculture sector of our country. Meeting the adequate food requirement of the huge population is necessary, but due to several adverse factors, production systems are facing many problems. Limited arable land resources, excessive use of chemical fertilizers, land degradation, cultivation with poor quality seeds, lack of proper seed replacement, are some of the major concerns for which not only the production of food materials in sufficient quantity is being affected but also the quality seed production is getting invaded badly. Quality seed is a vital input for crop production. It is the cheapest input and the key to progress towards the development of sustainable agriculture. Response of different inputs and final crop output depends to a large extent on the seed material used for sowing purposes. Thus, for better production, profit, and sustainability, use of genetically and physiologically pure, vigorous, climate adaptive, and less disease pest prone seeds are required in one hand along with good seed replacement rate, qualitative seed stock, proper seed certification, etc. are very much crucial to unfold the potential yield performance of species and varieties.
If the agriculture sectors are vastly improvised and technologized with the supply of quality seed and agriculture inputs, food insecurity will be minimized. Government and private sector should conduct high qualitative seed breeding research with the full participation of agriculture institutions and farmers’ associations. Farmers should be provided with training regarding the preservation and certification of seeds. Quality seed is an ample source of anticipation for food sustainability.
Hence, Quality seed production can be a paradigm shift towards sustainable agriculture because of healthy crop outcomes through effective cost cutting and production improving phenomena. Besides that, farmers should be aware of the above-mentioned considerations and they should actively cooperate with the researchers, extension workers, and scientists for the benefits of quality seed production. Production of good quality seed, and increasing seed replacement rates are especially inevitable for better productivity, profitability, and sustainability in agriculture, for the betterment of the farming community, and for the nation as a whole. Production of seeds by following proper seed cycle, unifying seed system with complete knowledge and technological training on post-harvest operations up to marketing, utilization of maximum seed policies, seed schemes national, international both needs to be done in order to be self-reliable, sustainable, standard in line with sustaining food security and enhancing productivity.
