1. Seed production system in brief

Aseedis a mature ovule consisting of an embryonic plant together with a store of food, all surrounded by a protective coat.

Generation system of seed multiplication

Seed is the cheapest and basic input for sustained agricultural production. At the time of release of a variety, small quantity of seed normally known as nucleus seed is available with the plant breeder. Commercial quantity of seed is produced after a series of multiplication steps. Starting from maintenance programme in which nucleus seed is multiplied in a generation system of multiplication as breeder, foundation and certified seed.

Nucleus Seed :-

It is the initial amount of pure seed of improved variety or parental lines of a hybrid produced under supervision of the plant breeder who has evolved that variety or hybrid. The nucleus seed is genetically cent percent pure and does not contain other physical impurities. The nucleus seed is produced strictly under isolation so as to avoid both genetically and physical contamination. Nucleus seed should retain original vigour of the variety or parental line.

Breeder seed:-

Breeder seed is seed or vegetative propagating material directly controlled by the originating or sponsoring plant breeder of the breeding programme or institution and/or seed whose production is personally supervised by a qualified plant breeder and which provides the source for the initial and recurring increase of Foundation seed.

Breeder seed shall be genetically pure (equal or higher than foundation seeds) to guarantee that in the subsequent generation i.e. certified Foundation seed class shall conform to the prescribed standards of genetic purity. The other quality factors of Breeder seed such as physical purity, inert matter, germination etc. shall be indicated on the label on actual basis. The Breeder seed shall be packed and supplied by the breeders in the form and manner indicated in page no-23.

Foundation Seed:-

Foundation seed shall be the progeny of Breeder seed, or be produced from Foundation seed which can be clearly traced to Breeder seed. Thus, Foundation seed can even be produced from Foundation seed. During the production of certified Foundation seed, the following guidelines shall be observed:

(a)Certified Foundation seed produced directly from Breeder seed shall be designated as Foundation seed stage-I;

(b)Certified Foundation seed produced from Foundation seed stage-I shall be designated as Foundation seed stage-II;

(c)Certified Foundation seed stage-II will not be used for further increase of Foundation seed and shall be used only for production of Certified seed class;

(d)Minimum Seed Certification Standards shall be the same for both Foundation seed stage-I and II unless otherwise prescribed;

(e)Certification tag shall be of white colour for both Foundation seed stage-I and II and shall contain the information as to its stage;

(f)Production of Foundation seed stage-II shall ordinarily be adopted in respect of such crop varieties provided, when it is expressly felt by the Certification Agency that Breeder seed is in short supply;

(g)Production of Foundation seed stage-II may be adopted for the following group of crops:

-vegetatively propagated crops;

-apomictically reproduced crops;

-self-pollinated crops;

-often cross-pollinated and cross-pollinated crops, these being gene – pools should not loose their genetic identity and purity if measures to safeguard the same are adequately taken;

-composite and synthetics;

-parental line increase of hybrids.

Production of Foundation seed stage-I and II shall be supervised and approved by the Certification Agency and be so handled as to maintain specific genetic identity and genetic purity and shall be required to conform to certification standards specified for the crop/variety being certified.

Certified Seed: -

(a)Certified seed shall be the progeny of Foundation seed and its production shall be so handled as to maintain specific genetic identity and purity according to standards prescribed for the crop being certified;

(b)Certified seed may be the progeny of Certified seed provided this reproduction does not exceed three generations beyond Foundation seed stage-I and

- it is determined by the Certification Agency that genetic identity and genetic purity will not be significantly altered;

-and when the Certification Agency is satisfied that there is genuine shortage of Foundation seed despite all the reasonable efforts made by the seed producer.

(c)Certification tag shall be of blue colour (shade ISI No. 104 AZURE BLUE) for certified seed class.

(d)Certified seed produced from certified seed shall not be eligible for further seed increase under certification. Certification tags for such production which is not eligible for further seed increase under certification shall be super scribed with, “not eligible for further seed increase under certification”.

(Specification for Certification Tag is mentionin page no-24.

Seed Replacement Rate(SSR):-

Seed Replacement Rate is the percentage of area sown out of total area of crop planted in the season by using certified/quality seeds.

LABELLING OF BREEDER SEED

Breeder seed shall be supplied in sealed containers, duly stitched and sealed. A cloth-lined label of 12 cm x 6 cm containing following information shall be fixed on the container.

Crop
Variety
Class of seed
Lot No.
Date of test
*Pure seed
*Inert matter
*Germination
**Oil content
Producing Institution
(name and address) / Breeder seed
%
%
%
% / Label No.

*Based on actual.

**It shall be applicable for sunflower crop only.

‘The container should also have printed on it and the kind, variety and name of Institution’

2.The label shall be rubber-stamped with signature, name and designation of the concerned breeder. Colour of the label shall be Golden Yellow No. 356 (IS:5-1978)

3.Every breeder/breeding institute shall maintain the account of labels printed and issued.

SPECIFICATION FOR CERTIFICATION TAG

Length:15 cm

Breadth:7.5 cm

Quality---it shall be made of durable material such as thick paper, paper with cloth lining, wax coated paper, plastic coated paper or any other material which is durable in nature and water and tear resistant.

Colour—Both sides shall be white for Foundation class and blue (ISI No.104-Azure blue)forCertified class.

Contents and layout

TAG No…………………..
KIND……………………..
Variety…………………….
Lot No……………………… / CA’s
EMBLEM
Name & Address of Certification
Agency / Certified Seed
Class of seed………………..
Certificate No………………
Date of issue of
Certificate………………….
Date of test…………………
“Use of the seed after expiry of the validity period by any person is entirely at his risk and the holder of the certificate shall not be responsible for any damage to the buyer of seed. No one should purchase the seed if seal or the certification tag has been tempered with” / Certificate valid up
to……………………..
(Provided seed is stored under cool and dry environment)
Validity of certificate further extended upto
Name and Full Address of the Certified Seed
Producer…………………………………… / ………………………….

N.B.If tag is to be affixed on a smaller container then the size of the tag may be reduced proportionately. However, length and breadth ratio and contents would remain the same.

(CA’s : Certification Agency’s)

8 (a )Seed Rolling Plan

Seed is the most critical of all agricultural inputs and determines the performance and efficacy of other inputs for enhancing productivity and production and thereby income of the farmers. It is, therefore, essential that quality seeds with good genetic potential appropriate to the agro-climatic conditions are produced in sufficient quantity at affordable price and made available to the farmers timely for achieving higher agricultural production.

Supply of quality seed is not a onetime affair. As we know, to produce certified seeds from ‘Breeder’s at least 3-years time is required and, therefore, a whole lot of planning is essential to ensure that right seed of right variety is available to the farmers at the right time. It has been assessed that to achieve food production targets, there is need for replacing the existing seeds (SRR) at the rate of 33% for self pollinated crops, 50% for cross pollinated crops and 100% for hybrids.

Climate Resilient Agriculture :

It is a well known fact that many farmers do not have access to certified seeds and depend on farm saved seeds for boosting agricultural production. Further, the country is often affected by natural calamities of different type viz., drought, cyclones, flood etc., when the normal seasonal (Kharif/Rabi) agricultural programme gets stranded and Contingency Crop Plan is resorted to for salvaging the situation, Often, the Contingency Plan also gets stranded for non-availability of seeds of appropriate variety. The Government is also giving thrust to create Seed Reserve including stress tolerant varieties seeds (Short and Medium duration varieties seeds) wherein seeds for emergent situations can be stored for use during unforeseen and unwarranted situations.

Government of India has requested the State Governments to prepare a long term Seed Plan for the State based on their agro-climatic conditions, crop and varieties being cultivated, existing SRR, requirement of contingency situations like drought, cyclone, flood etc. We have made efforts in DAC to develop a draft Proforma for Seed Plan (mention in the page no- ). The States are required to prepare the crop-variety-wise seed production plan for the State for the next four year period with year-wise break-up, which should be strictly be adhered to during the period, while achieving the minimum SRR, as detailed herein. The plan should indicate advance arrangements made to meet the shortfall in seed production, tie-ups made/required to be made including for situation arising out of drought, flood and cyclone and seeds to be kept in the Seed Reserve.

8.(b)Recommended System of Breeder Seed Indent and Supply :

1. Every State shall provide the agro-climatic zone-wise, district-wise and variety-wise quantity of certified/quality seeds sold and area covered in the previous Kharif/Rabi season along with SRR, productivity data to ICAR, DAC and SAUs by 1stDecember for Kharifcrops and 1stMay for Rabi crops.

  1. ICAR shall prepare and circulate a list of State/area/agro-climatic zone-specific recommended varieties/hybrids of seeds particularly the newly released varieties/hybrids for cultivation along with relevant data regarding their yield potential, duration etc. to every State on or before 1stJanuary for Kharif crops and 1stJune forRabi Cropswith copy to Seed Division, DAC.
  2. SAUs shall do a similar exercise in respect of State varieties.
  3. Each State in consultation with ICAR Institutes, SAUs and Seed producing Agencies shall formulate seed plan (for Breeder, Foundation and Certified Seed) for the cropping seasons on the basis of an assessment of existing and new varieties in terms of actual or potential yield in each district/agro-climatic zone.
  4. State Governments shall submit the seed plan and the Breeder Seeds indent to DAC, ICAR, SAUs. The Breeder Seed Indent shall be submitted to the SAUs directly for State varieties and submitted to Seeds Division DAC/ICAR for national varieties by 15thJanuary for Kharif crops and 15th June for Rabi crops.
  5. Private seed companies will also place the breeder seed indent by 15thJanuary for Kharif crops and 15th June for Rabicrops throughNational Seeds Association of India (NSAI) to Seeds Division, DAC.
  6. DAC shall compile all the Breeder Seed Indents of States and private seed companies and furnish them to ICAR/ concerned PDs/PCs for production of the breeder seeds.
  7. The breeder seed will be allotted to all States and private seed companies for lifting from institutes of ICAR, SAUs to produce foundation and certified seed.
  8. The Lifting of Breeder Seed is to be monitored every 15 days jointly by DAC and ICAR.
  9. To popularise new varieties and to induce confidence among the farmers apart from Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs), each ICAR centre, SAU and KVK shall adopt 1-2 villages in a block in an agro-climatic zone of the State for demonstration in participatory Mode in the farmers fields to demonstrate the productivity/potential of the new variety with an appropriate mix of inputs and practices. State Government extension staff will fully participate in the finalisation plan of FLDs-list of farmers-training etc.
  10. In case of hybrids of important food crops such as paddy hybrids the State Agriculture Universities shall take the responsibility in large scale production of Pure high quality parental lines (A Lines, R Lines) (Breeder and foundation seed). It would be ensured that NSC, State Seeds Corporations will procure the foundation seeds on priority.
  1. SAUs shall provide foundation seed to all State Seed Corporations, State Seed Farms, NSC and Private Seed Companies for taking up large scale hybrid seed production and make it available to farmers at affordable prices. SAUs may also take up large-scale hybrid seed production in their Farms.