In ancient times, farmers had to produce and store their own seed. As agricultural production intensified worldwide, the demand for seeds increased, both in quantity and quality. Currently, in developed countries, seed companies have managed to achieve a quality product that adapts to the needs of the modern farmer.

Theseeds are the unit of plant propagation derived from the fertilized ovule , in angiosperms (flowering plants) and in gymnosperms. In the case of angiosperms, the ovule forms inside an ovary. Gymnosperms, on the other hand, have bare seeds, not contained within a fruit. Angiosperms are divided into monocots (one cotyledon) and dicots (two cotyledons).

Its function is to increase the number of individuals of a species and perpetuate it, both in space and time. It has an embryo, reserves to nourish the plant in its early stages and a seed coat whose function is protection. For the seed to fulfill its function, the embryo must transform into a seedling and then into a plant.

Seeds can be classified according to their resistance to desiccation. . Orthodox seeds are resistant to water loss and are still viable at low moisture content. In the case of recalcitrant, they are not resistant to desiccation.

SEED GERMINATION

Inside the seed, the embryo is in a dormant state. For germination to occur, a series of favorable environmental conditions must be met: the presence of moisture, oxygen and adequate temperature. When the seed absorbs water, a series of metabolic reactions begin in it. Cellular enlargement of the embryo causes rupture of the seed coat. Despite favorable conditions, some seeds do not germinate. This is due to a state of latency.

Germination can be divided into three phases:

The duration of the phases depends on some of the properties of the seeds (permeability of the seed coat and ability to hydrate). There are external and internal factors that affect germination. The external ones are related to the environmental conditions and the internal ones to the degree of maturity and viability of the seeds.

TYPES OF GERMINATION

Depending on the position of the cotyledons with respect to the ground, there aretwo types of germination:

• epigea : the cotyledons come to the surface due to a large growth of the hypocotyl. The cotyledons are transformed into organs capable of photosynthesis. Leaves will then develop. Legumes are an example of this type of germination.
• hypogea : the cotyledons remain underground. True leaves are the first photosynthetic organs. Characteristic germination of cereals.

SEED HANDLING AND STORAGE

Once the plant completes its growth and reproductive phase, the seed can be harvested.The quality of a seed is measured by its ability to germinate and give rise to a healthy plant.. This is a very important factor, and must always be taken into account, since a crop can have a lower quality than the seed used, but never be superior to it. The harvest must be carried out when the moisture content is adequate (it varies according to the type of seed), thus avoiding losses due to excess or deficit of moisture. Then, they must be classified, in order to separate impurities (weed seeds, herbs, soil, seeds of the crop itself that are broken or diseased). Once these processes are finished, the seeds can be packaged or stored in silos or warehouses to be used in later sowings. The storage of recalcitrant seeds is very difficult since they must be stored in a humid environment, an environment conducive to the development of microorganisms.

Advice of Commercial Mida

We recommend always using quality seeds so that, regardless of the environmental conditions, the farmer has a better chance of achieving a quality harvest from the first moment.

For seed storage, we must always respect humidity levels.

In commercial seeds, we must always follow the instructions of the seed industry.