Table Of ContentSeed technology comprises the methods of improving
the genetic and physical characteristics of seed.
It involves such activities as variety development,
evaluation, and release and seed production,
processing, storage, and quality control. These
are the main components of a healthy seed industry,
still limited to the world's developed countries.
But crop farmers in the developing
countries are also relying more on bought
seed, actually the least costly of their basic
production inputs. This manual therefore presents
the latest findings on cereal seed with particular
reference to the developing countries, where increased
agricultural production, especially of food crops,
remains a major goal and crop failures can cause
human and economic disaster.
The text, contribut~d by cereal seed experts, is aimed
at plant breeders, seed growers and processors,
quality control officers, seedsmen, extension agents
and students. Chapters 1, 7, and 8 are accompanied
by appendixes containing more technical details.
Specialists and students will benefit from the chapter
by chapter list of references and further reading.
CEREAL SEED TECHNOLOGY
FAO Plant Production and Protection Series No. 10
FA 0 Agricultural l)evelopment Paper No. 98
CEREAL SEED TECHNOLOGY
A MANUAL OF CEREAL SEED PRODUCTION,
QUALITY CONTROL, AND DISTRIBUTION
edited by
WALTHER P. FEISTRITZER
Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ROME 1975
First published 1975
Reprinted 1977
Notice: The designations employed and the presenta
tion of material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever by the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
concerning the legal status of any country, territory,
city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the de
limitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views
expressed in signed chapters are those of the authors.
The information in this manual is derived from technical
papers prepared for the 4th FAO/SIDA Training Course on
Cereal Seed Production, Quality Control, and Distribution.
While it presents knowledge obtained from research and ex
perience, it is not possible for the Food and Agriculture Or
ganization of the United Nations to assume responsibility
for statements contained herein, nor does the mention of any
product constitute its recommendation.
The copyright in this book is vested in the Food and Agri
culture Organization of the United Nations. The book
may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by any method
or process, without written permission from the copyright
holder. Applications for such permission, with a state
ment of the purpose and extent of the reproduction desired,
should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division,
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
Via delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
P-13
ISBN 92-5-100460-9
@ FAO 1975
Printed in Italy
FOREWORD
FAO has received requests from many member countries to place greater
emphasis on the production and distribution of quality seed, which they
now recognize as one of the main inputs required to achieve increased
crop productivity, yields, and cropping intensities. The expanded use
of quality seed in conjunction with other inputs, such as water and fertilizers,
is essential to the progressive intensification of agriculture; however, the
production and utilization of quality seed are still limited in many
developing countries owing to inadequate technical knowledge.
This volume attempts to provide a world-wide review of the principles
and objectives, organization, and methods of cereal seed production,
quality control, and distribution. In addition, the reader may find the
bibliographical references and further reading for each chapter (see
pages 231-238) helpful for deepening his knowledge in this field.
Technical papers prepared by recognized authorities and presented at the
4th FAO/SIDA Training Course on Cereal Seed Production, Quality Control,
and Distribution have been used in this manual. This course was financed
by the Swedish International Development Authority and organized
under the auspices of FAO and the Swedish State Seed Testing Institute
in Lund, Sweden, from 1 June to 30 September 1972.
FAO is grateful to SIDA for its interest in and support of the develop
ment of technical and managerial skill in quality seed production and
supply and to the many people who collaborated in this effort, in particu
lar to Prof. H. Esbo, Director of the Swedish State Seed Testing Institute
and his staff.
This volume, which was prepared with financial assistance from· SIDA,
discusses the latest findings on cereal seed and pays particular attention
to the situation in developing countries. It is designed primarily for those
involved in cereal seed production and utilization, including plant breed
ers, seed growers, processors, quality control officers, · dealers, and exten
sion agents; it will also be of value to agricultural studenls.
FELIX ALBANI, Director
Plant Production and Protection Division
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PREFACE
About nine thousand years ago, somewhere in the foothills of the Zargos
mountains in the Near East, men began to put cereal seeds into the soil
with a view to harvesting crops. The early Egyptians stored seeds, under
governmental supervision, for sowing during the following crop season.
The early Romans recognized the advantages of pure seed for crop produc
tion. The first organized seed trade started in Germany, France, and
Great Britain late in the 17th century and early in the 18th century. The
first seeq testing station was established in Germany approximately one
hundred years ago.
Since then, remarkable developments have been made in seed technology.
Yet, functioning seed industries have been limited mainly to the world's
industrialized countries with highly developed agriculture. The main
problem of developed countries today is not to increase agricultural produc
tion, but to decrease the number of people depending upon agriculture
and provide those remaining on the farms with higher incomes. Under
these conditions, seed of the highest quality is required to make the new
technology profitable and to maximize productivity.
In developing countries, increased crop production is the main issue,
as the food supply will have to be increased annually by 4 percent to keep
pace with population growth and to meet the demand for food; however,
in most developing countries the increases have been well below this level
in recent years.
A provisional seed-status review made in 1970 by FAO, covering ninety
seven countries, indicated that more than 90 per cent of the seventy-three
developing countries studied would need to develop or strengthen their
seed production and supply systems.
Seed differs from other inputs in highly significant ways, and these
differences create special problems which have to be taken into account
in seed industry development. Most important, seed is a living thing,
subject to genetic and other transformations and death. Therefore, the
maintenance of genetic characteristics and physical quality demands well
defined procedures and control from breeding to farm delivery.
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Quality seed is a produce of specialized farming and thus does not lend
itself so well to purely mechanical controls, as may be exercised with
most other agricultural inputs. In addition, as agricultural systems develop
and as needs increase or change, seed varieties must be replaced rapidly
at the farmer level. These facts determine, to a very large degree, the
particular nature of the seed industry's development.
The present manual endeavours to specify the essential functions of a
seed industry and their logical sequence in terms of national seed pro
grammes. The subject matter covered may be divided into ten broad divi
sions: variety evaluation, variety release, seed production, seed processing,
seed storage, seed marketing, seed testing, seed certification, seed legisla
tion, and extension.
The outline for this manual was prepared by an FAO working group of
seed specialists, but the selection of the various subtopics and the alloca
tion of space were left to the discretion of the editor.
In any publication of multiple authorship, it is not easy to maintain
uniformity between individual chapters. Therefore, it should be borne
in mind that the statements and emphasis in the individl!-al chapters primarily
reflect the views of the editor and coordinators and may not strictly adhere
to those of the contributors.
The editor wishes to express his sincere appreciation to the coordinators
and contributors of the individual chapters for their cooperation. The
editor is greatly indebted to Dr. D. Baringer, President, Bundessortenamt,
Bemerode, F.R. Germany, and Mr. C. Rutin, Director, Institut national
de la recherche agronomique, La Miniere, France, for their constructive
comments on the chapter Variety Release. Special thanks are extended
to Dr. H.J. Mittendorf of the FAO Marketing and Credit Service and to
Mr. B.A. Summers of the FAO Education and Training Service for their
respective reviews and valuable comments on the chapters Seed Marketing
and Extension Programme for the Promotion of Quality Seed. The lin
guistic editing assistance given by Mr. A.F. Kelly, Deputy Director of
the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Cambridge, England, is
gratefully acknowledged.
WALTHER P. FEISTRITZER, EDITOR
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