Seed Technology

India's seed chain has four classes: (1) Nucleus Seed — produced by the original breeder under strict roguing, maintained at the research station; (2) Breeder Seed — produced from Nucleus seed under supervision of plant breeder, tagged with golden yellow label; (3) Foundation Seed — produced from Breeder seed, certified by State Seed Certification Agency (SSCA), white label; (4) Certified Seed — produced from Foundation seed for farmers, blue label. Some crops also use Registered Seed (purple label) between Foundation and Certified.

Germination standards vary by crop. Key minimums for IBPS AFO: Wheat — 85%; Rice — 80%; Maize — 85%; Sorghum — 75%; Groundnut — 70%; Soybean — 70%; Sunflower — 75%; Cotton — 65% (unhaired), 75% (haired). ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) rules govern official seed testing globally. India adopted ISTA rules; the Seeds Act 1966 and Seeds Control Order 1983 enforce minimum standards nationally.

The Seeds Act 1966 is the primary legislation governing seed quality in India. It mandates minimum limits for germination, physical purity, and moisture content for notified varieties. Seeds of notified varieties sold commercially must be certified or truthfully labelled. The Central Seed Committee advises the government. The Seeds (Amendment) Bill 2004 proposed compulsory certification and quality declarations but has not yet been enacted. Seeds Act 1966 applies to all varieties notified under Section 5.

Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) is the percentage of total crop area planted with certified/quality seed (excluding farm-saved seed). A high SRR means farmers use improved certified seed — directly linked to yield improvement. India's SRR targets: self-pollinated crops (wheat, rice) ≥ 25%; cross-pollinated crops (maize, bajra) ≥ 35%; hybrid crops ≥ 100% (hybrids must be purchased fresh each season as F2 segregates). India's overall SRR is ~30–35% — improving but below targets.

Moisture content is the single most critical factor in seed storage — higher moisture = faster deterioration. ISTA standard limits: Cereals (wheat, rice, maize) — ≤12%; Pulses — ≤9%; Oilseeds (groundnut, soybean) — ≤8%; Cotton — ≤10%. For long-term gene bank storage: cereals stored at ≤5% moisture and −18°C. The 1-2-3 rule: every 1% reduction in seed moisture content or 5°C reduction in storage temperature doubles seed longevity (Harrington's rule).

ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) is the global body that sets standards for seed sampling and testing. ISTA rules define: minimum sample size for each crop, germination substrate and conditions (sand, filter paper, vermiculite), counting and evaluation periods, and purity analysis procedures. ISTA-accredited laboratories issue internationally recognised seed certificates. India's National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC, Varanasi) is the ISTA-accredited apex laboratory.