Seed Enhancement Technologies
摘要
Quality of seed is of crucial importance determining success in agriculture. Though the cost of seed as a proportion of total production cost is generally not more than 3–6% in most open pollinated varieties, and ~10% in case of hybrids, the success of production heavily depends on it. Seed quality is determined by many parameters, of which germination, vigour and ability to withstand abiotic and biotic stresses during early stand establishment play important roles. Post-harvest treatments that can be applied to the seeds in addition to the standard conditioning, to further improve its physical properties and/or enhance its performance during germination, emergence and early vegetative stage, are gaining much importance in modern agriculture. Such treatments cover a wide range of technologies encompassing physiological enhancements, delivery of pesticidal formulations, nutrients, fertilisers, growth promoters, beneficial microbial inoculum and other materials required to boost germination and vigour. Such treatments may be physical, chemical, priming-based, or biological in nature and are applied to the seed directly as in seed dressing with fungicides, or delivered along with a carrier, such as film coatings and pelleting. The scope of Seed Enhancement Technologies (SET), has widened manifolds in the last 25 years and can be defined as ‘any physical, chemical, physiological and biological treatment, or technology that is applied to seeds to allow precision sowing, protection against biotic and abiotic stresses, improved germination, and seedling vigour, and optimise supply of nutrients and stimulants’. The chapter presents an overview of the advancements in the field of seed enhancement technologies in India and elsewhere.