Selection of Seeds

Seed selection is a complex and sometimes misunderstood process. Some farmers assess individual entire plant's performance through the season when selecting seed, while other farmers select seed post-harvest from threshed crops in their storage. Seed of rice varieties are harvested, processed and stored separately, while the grain is often harvested and sold/consumed in variety mixtures.

The use of quality seeds in cultivation of rice is an important factor to get better crop yield. Therefore, proper care has to be taken in selecting seeds of the best quality. Much of the success in raising the healthy seedlings depends on the quality of seed.

Seeds intended for sowing should satisfy the following requirements :

• The seed should belong to the proper variety, which is proposed to be grown.
• The seed should be clean and free from mixtures of other seeds.
• The seed should be mature, well developed and plump in size.
• The seed should be free from obvious signs of age or bad storage
• The seed should have a high germinating capacity.

Before sowing, the seed should be treated with fungicides which protects the seed against soil-born fungi and also give a boost to the seedlings.

Concept of Seed Multiplication