Tree seed Biology,

Collection, Processing
And Storage
October 2007 E.C

Kombolcha
 INTRODUCTION

Forest seed is very important for large plantation programs to

replace degraded areas, Farmers commonly plant trees on
farms or community lands to grow products that satisfy
household needs and market demands.

Forest seed, a key input that determines the success of any

tree planting activity, is often in short supply and poor quality.

As a result, governmental planting programs, farmers and

NGOs use any seed available in the market, regardless of its
quality. So there is a need of attention to seed quality.
Main contents
 Seed Biology

 Seed Quality

 Seed Collection, handling, transportation

& storage

 Seed testing & certification

 Seed Biology

A vast and often overwhelming number of terms apply to reproductive

biology. Pollen must fertilize an ovule to produce a viable seed. This process is called
Pollination.

A basic knowledge of the most commonly used terms are

 Flower; A flower is the angiosperm reproductive organ, bearing pistil,
stamen (either/or, or both), and usually also sepals and petals.

 Fruit ; Fruits are formed when an ovary undergoes changes, becoming

either dry and hardened or enlarged and fleshy.

 Seed ; defined as a 'mature ovule' or a reproductive unit formed from

fertilized ovule, consisting of an embryo, reserve food, and, a protective
cover.
Figure 3: Fertilization and anatomy of seed
 Flower and fruit assessment
Flowering and fruiting assessment in forest stands is constrained by
the practical problem that the reproductive organs of trees are usually
borne on the uppermost and most invisible parts of the canopy.

Several methods can be applied to assess flower & fruit:

 
1. Climbing trees.

2. Observation from natural or artificial high points.

3. Inspecting fallen flowers or fruits.

Table 1. Method of leveling during flower assessment

Criteria’s
No Level

4. Very good Most of the trees in the stand have abundant

1 flowers

2 3. Good Most of the trees have flowers, some abundant

3 2. Intermediate Less than 40% of the trees bear flowers, few
have many flowers

4 1. Poor Most trees in the stand have few flowers, edge

and exposed trees may flower prolifically
5 0. Very poor Flowering poor and only on edge trees or
isolated exposed trees
 Seed Quality
Seed quality is comprised of three components.
 Physical quality: Quality related to physical characteristics, such as size, color,
age, seed coat condition, occurrence of cracks, pest and disease attacks, or other
damage.
 Physiological quality: Quality related to physiological characteristics, (maturity,
moisture content, or germination ability.)
 Genetic quality: Quality related to characteristics inherited from the parent trees.

Seed quality helps to determine:

 The quantity of seed that should be sown to produce the required number of
seedlings;

 The number, health and vigor of the resulting seedlings.

 The characteristics of the resulting seedlings and mature trees.

What Affects Seed Quality?

Tree seed quality is affected by any activity associated with:

 seed source selection and management;

 seed collection, cleaning, drying, packaging, and storage;
 seedling production and tree planting.

Figure 1: Continuum of activities that influence seed quality and should be considered when
planning seed collection and tree planting activities (Adapted from IFSP, 2000).
General maturation indicators

• Visual indicators; Colour changes (Cone color, bract

color, seed wing color, scale color.)
.
• Physical indicators; By touching (Cone moisture content, cone
specific gravity, and embryo development of seed maturity.)
 SEED COLLECTION, HANDLING AND STORAGE

1.Planning Seed Collection Activities

 
 Which species to collect (Species Selection)

 How Much seed to collect (Quantity)

 Where to collect (Seed Sources, seed trees)

 When to collect (Harvest Time)

 How to collect (Collection Method)

 Identify the best available seed source for the species in question.

 Natural forest
 Homestead and backyard areas
 Farm land and Other Mixed forest
 From plantation forest
2. WHERE SHOULD SEED COLLECTED?

2.1. Seed Sources

Individual trees or stands from which seed is collected are called seed
sources.

Types of Seed sources;

 Identified Stands
 Selected seed stands
 Seed Production Areas
 Provenance Seed Stands
 Seed trees

 Seed Orchards
2.1.1. Identified Seed Sources
Any stand of average quality, occasionally used for seed
collection, for which the location can be described.

2.1.2 Selected Seed Stands

Groups of trees, in either natural forests or plantations,
identified as having superior characteristics - such as straight
stem form or rapid growth.
2.1.3 Seed Production Area
Stands of trees in either natural forests or plantations that are
improved for the specific purpose of seed production.
(selective thinning and remove poor quality trees, including
those that have been attacked by pests and diseases.
2.1.4 Provenance Seed production Area
Stand of known provenance that is under test or already tested and
found superior.

2.1.5. Seed trees

Individual trees from which seed is collected. They should have
superior characteristics - such as straight stem form or rapid growth.
They may be in either natural forests or plantations.

2.1.6 Seed Orchards

Plantation of genetically improved trees, isolated (200m) to reduce

pollination from genetically inferior outside sources and intensively
managed to produce frequent, abundant and early harvested crops of
seed.
 Select phenotypically superior trees (plus
trees) from natural forest or plantations

Collect open pollinated seeds

Collect cuttings from the selected trees
from the selected PLUS trees.

Produce grafts or cuttings Raising seedlings

Clone 1.... clone 2 ......... Family 1 ... Family
2 ....
Establish clonal seed orchard Establish progeny test

Evaluate progeny test

Remove inferior clones Remove inferior families and

individuals

PLANTATION WITH Collect seeds

GENETICALLY for plantation Establish seedling
IMPROVED SEED programme seed orchard
Important knowledge required

 Selection of good mother trees.

 Suitable time of seed collection.

 Proper seed collection techniques.

 Careful seed handling and extraction.

 Good packaging and storage.

 Effective pre-sowing treatment methods

Selection of good mother trees

 select and mark good mother trees that you will use as sources of high quality
seed.

 the major characteristics that determine a good mother tree are:

o Healthy and free of diseases and insects

o Nearly mature

o Good producers of the desired product

o To collect seed there should be at least 30 healthy trees.

o Distance b/n mother trees 50 – 75m for natural forest (not always true for
plantation)

 To choose the right mother trees, remember the simple rule:

o A tree's off-spring will usually resemble its mother

Selection of good mother trees….

 Therefore:

o If you want straight trunks, choose a straight-trunked

mother tree.

o For a multi-trunk fodder tree, select multi-trunk mother

trees.

o For trees which tolerate drought, or flooding, select

good looking mother trees from dry or flooded sites,
etc..
Selection of good mother trees…..
For timber trees:

o Mother trees should be

 fast growing,

 Strait stem,

 very straight, and

timber
 have few and thin branches
Good Timber tree
Selection of good mother trees….

For fodder trees:

o Mother trees should be
o Be fast growing

o Have many branches

fodder

o Have several trunks

o Grow new leaves quickly after fodder harvesting

o Fast production of leaf matter and pods preferred

by local animals

o Ability of the tree to recover after cutting

Selection of good mother trees….

For fruit trees:

o Mother trees should be
o Collect seed from tree varieties
producing good quantities of tasty,
healthy fruit of marketable size.

o Low branching trees may be preferable

as mother trees. It is easy to pick fruits
fruit
from low branches

To get a high quality fruit tree, necessary steps are:

o Grow seedlings of drought tolerant and disease resistant mother trees.

o Then graft a branch of a high quality variety on to the seedling when it is strong and
well-established.
o Keep your eyes open for trees of high quality varieties near your home. From these,
you can obtain scions to use for grafting. Otherwise, obtain scions from commercial
fruit nurseries
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

After selecting and marking good mother trees, collecting

quality seed by using several seed collection methods.

 Collecting from natural seed fall

 Shaking the tree

 Pruning off seed bearing branches

 Throwing a rope with weighted end to break off a

seed bearing branch

 Climbing trees to collect seed

 Collecting seed from felled trees

 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES….

1. Collecting from natural seed fall

 This is the simplest way to collect seed. It does not require skilled
labor.

 Collection from natural seed fall is suitable for trees with large fruits,
hard pods, and seeds (Olia africana, podocarpus falctus..)

 The following tools will be helpful:

• Rake
• Sieve
• Seed container
• Large canvas, cloth or plastic sheet
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….

Necessary steps:

 Clear the ground beneath the tree of leaves, branches, and weeds before
seeds begin to fall. This will make seed collection easier. Or,

 spread plastic sheets, cloth or canvas under the mother trees so that the
seeds will fall onto them.

 Use a rake to gather the seeds and collect them daily. Or,

 Fold sheets to collect seeds daily.

 Chances of insect attack and fungal infection which could occur if seeds are
left on the ground too long will be minimized.

 Extract seeds from the litter by sieving

 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES …..
Collecting from natural seed fall

Seed collection from Gathering seeds with a Fold the sheet of

natural seed fall. rake canvas to gather
the seeds

o What is the drawback of collecting seeds

from the ground??
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….

Some disadvantages of Collecting seeds from the ground

 Some seeds may have fallen from the tree immaturely.

 There is greater potential for insect attack and fungal infection.

 Seeds left on the ground for a long time often lose viability or start
germinating.
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….

2. Shaking the tree

 If natural seed fall is spread over a long period of time, manual shaking
of the tree is a useful method to get seeds to fall to the ground at the
same time.

 In some cases, however, fruits or pods are strongly attached to the

branches and will not drop off easily, even when the tree is shaken.

 If this is the case, other methods will need to be used,

 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES …..

Shaking the tree…..

Necessary steps

 Clean the ground, or lay down a plastic or canvas sheet

 Shake the trunks of trees or low branches by hand. (Higher branches

may be shaken using a stick, long pole, hook on rope)

 Separate seed from the dry pods

 Sometimes, seed bearing branches will be low enough to allow the

collector to bend branches over collection sheets and release the
seeds onto the sheet

 Use thick leather gloves when branches are thorny

 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES …..

Shaking the tree

When pods or fruits are fully mature and

near ready to fall (pods will be opening
naturally)
beat branches with a stick to shake down
seeds or dislodge fruits.
A small tree with branches which
droop low enough for collector to
easily reach them.
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….
3. Pruning off seed bearing branches

 When the seed is out of reach for hand picking various pole
implements may be used for pruning branches.

Necessary steps

1. Select branches with a heavy load of good looking pods.

2. Carefully locate the ground sheets so that pods and seeds
will fall onto them from pruned branches.
3. If necessary, prune out “windows” so that seed bearing
branches are able to fall to the ground and not get
entangled in the tree as they fall.
4. Cut the branches.
5. Collect the pods.
6. Remove the seeds.
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….
Pruning off seed bearing branches….

Required materials for this method are:

1. A special pole pruner with shears attached, or,

2. A long pole with a saw or hooked knife attached.

 Light, rigid bamboo, aluminium or plastic poles 4–6

metres in length can also be used.

 A hooked branch can substitute if the other tools are

unavailable
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….

Pruning off seed bearing branches

 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….

4. Throwing a rope with weighted end to break off a

seed bearing branch

 This is a destructive method

 used to reach high seed bearing branches from the ground,

without having to climb the tree.

 Branches up to 12 meters from the ground can be reached.

 Skill is required to throw the rope over the selected branch

and in the correct position for ease of breakage.
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….
Throwing a rope with weighted end to break off a seed
bearing branch
You will need:

 A strong 5 mm diameter rope about 25 m in length;

 A 400 gram stone, or small bag of sand or soil.

Steps

 Attach the weight at one end of the rope.

 Throw the weight over the seed bearing branch.

 Break off the branch by holding the two ends of the rope, and
pulling
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….
Throwing a rope with weighted end to break off a seed
bearing branch
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES …..

5. Climbing trees to collect seed

 Skill is required in climbing trees and using some specialized equipment.

 Quality seed is collected by this method.

 Several methods can be used when collecting seed from standing trees.

o The roof of a car may serve as a platform Or,

o climb into the crown of the tree and use a saw, large knife to cut down
seed bearing branches

o Well-designed portable ladders provide a quick and safe means of

reaching the live crowns of trees.

o Ladders may be made of light wood, aluminium, metal or bamboo 6–

15 metres in length.
 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES…

Climbing trees to collect seed

 COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ….

6. Collecting seed from felled trees

 If a tree is to be felled, try to wait until its seed is ripe.

 Never fell trees just for seed collection

 Timing of Seed Collection
 The optimum time for seed collection is as soon as the
seed is mature

 Matured fruits/seeds usually change their color

 For most types of trees, seed pods turn brown when the
seed inside is mature.

 Pods begin falling to the ground when seed is ripe.

 Some types, however, must be collected when pods are still

on the branches.

 Some, like Grevillea robusta, have light seed bearing fruits

which will open on the tree and allow seed to blow away.
 Timing of Seed Collection….
 In other cases, seed will over-ripen and not germinate well or be
susceptible to insect attack if fruits or pods stay on the tree too long.
Azandricha indica and Acacia sp. are examples of this.

 In these cases, collection must be done when pods or fruits are still on
the tree.

 Although mature seed is usually brown, color change is not always an

indication of seed maturation

 Careful observation must be done to ensure that the seed inside the
pods is mature before harvesting

 Your ability to know when a seed is perfectly ripe will develop through
observation and experience
Challenges of seed collection

 Objective of plantation

 Lack of potential seed source

 Low potential of trees to produce quality seed (Indigenous sp)

 Low attention to forest seed

Factors influence seed quality

 Genetic influence

 Collection method used

 Time of collection

 Handling, transportation and storage methods

 Extraction method
Figure 1: When the seed (mother) tree is Figure 3: When the seed (mother) tree is
surrounded by other good quality trees, surrounded by many poor quality trees, the
the progeny will demonstrate good progeny will demonstrate poor quality (Wiyono,
quality (Wiyono, 2002). 2002).
 Transportation

Guide lines during transportation

 Use ventilated containers for orthodox seeds

 Protect the seeds from strong sun light & rain.

 Recalcitrant seeds transport with moist saw dust to control tem.

 Care should be taken during loading & unloading depending on the spp.
(Gravilia . r, Moringa . s, casuarina .e)
 PROCESSING OF SEEDS
a) Seed extraction

For dry fruits (pods or cones)

 Sun dry on concrete, canvas sheet, or inside sacks until pods split
open.

 Pods or cones may also be placed on a wire mesh with a container

below it.

 Trample with feet, toss around, or beat pods inside a sack to speed up
seed separation.

 Pods which do not easily split open may be opened manually, or

threshed by pestling.

 Clean seeds by blowing or winnowing.

 Acacia spp, Albiza gummifera, Eucalyptus spp, etc extracted by drying.

 PROCESSING OF SEEDS….
Seed extraction

For dry fruits (pods or cones)

Different seed extraction methods for dry fruits and cones

 PROCESSING OF SEEDS….
Seed extraction

For fleshy fruits

 Do not delay extraction for too long and never store fruit piled up and
undisturbed. (Heating and fermentation in the pile could kill the seeds
or reduce their quality).

 Immerse in water until the fleshy tissue becomes soft (1–2 days).

 Scrape, crush, or rub seeds with hands to separate throughly from

pulpy flesh. (Be careful not to be so rough as to damage the seed).

 Remove all floating seeds and pulp

 Drain off the water and re-wash the seed

 Air dry for 2 days and re-clean the seeds by winnowing


 Balanatis aegiptica, Tamarandus indica, cordia africana, podocarpus
 PROCESSING OF SEEDS…
Seed extraction

For fleshy fruits….

Extraction and drying of fleshy fruits

 PROCESSING OF SEEDS….
b) Seed drying
 If seeds will be stored for future use, they must be dried.

 Spread the seeds thinly and evenly on a mat, canvas sheet, light-
colored plastic sheet, (a black sheet may cause seed to over heat)

 Stir and turn the seeds 4–5 times a day for uniform drying.

 Before it rains or gets dark, take the seeds indoors.

 Drying will take 1–3 days, depending on how wet the seeds are.

 Protect the seeds from rodents and birds during drying.

 Please note that drying process differs from species to species

 PROCESSING OF SEEDS
Seed drying

Drying seeds on a winnowing

Drying seeds on a plastic sheet.
basket.
 5. SEED STORAGE
 Temporary storage

 There should be temporary storage near the collection site

 Use well ventilated store , 10 – 20 kg in one container.

 Care of handling & keep the moisture content optimum depending on the
spp.
 Store seeds on the shelf to protect from pests & moisture.
 SEED STORAGE……

 Permanent storage

 Seeds can be stored for varying periods which may be

o Up to one year when both seed production and afforestation are

regular annual events, but it is necessary to await the best season
for sowing.

o 1 – 5 years or more when a species bears an abundant seed crop

at intervals of several years (seed year & non seed year)

o Long-term storage for purposes of conserving genetic resources.

 The period of storage depending on the species and the storage

conditions.

 The storage facilities to be provided must be related to the amount of

seeds and the period over which they are to be stored
 SEED STORAGE…….
 The period for which seed can remain viable without germinating is
greatly affected by its quality (time of collection, treatment between
collection and storage and the conditions in which it is stored.)

 Three classes of seeds based on their storage behaviours

 1. Orthodox: Seeds which can be dried around 5% and successfully

stored at low or sub-freezing temperatures for long periods. (Acacia
sps, A. gummifera, Eucalyptus spp.

 2. Recalcitrant: Seeds which cannot survive drying below a relatively

high moisture content (often in the range 20–50% wet basis) and which
cannot be successfully stored for long periods. (mango, avocado,
cocoa, coconut, rubber tree, Brazil nut, oak, loquat; Ficus sps,
prunus .a, Azandricha indica)

 Intermediate: seeds that can survive drying below 20% but can´t be
stored for long time (Abies, Juglans, Salix…. )
 SEED STORAGE….
To store seeds, follow this simple procedure step-by-step:

Orthodox seeds;

 Store only new, mature, healthy and well-dried seeds

 Keep them in dry and cool place to extend their viability

 Keep seeds in air-tight containers (tin cans or glass jars fully)

 Label the containers with the type of seed, place, and date of collection

 Protect seeds from rodents, birds, insects and fungi.

 For good seed storage, always use sealed containers

 Seed has been dried properly,

 SEED STORAGE….

 Make sure that the container is clean. (use ash, leaf of Azandricha .i)

 Open the seed containers only when necessary

Recalcitrant seeds

 can only be stored from several days, up to a few months under

ordinary room conditions

 do not tolerate drying.

 It is best, therefore, to plant these kinds soon after collection.

 SEED STORAGE….

 But if they must be stored:

 Do not dry the seeds completely.

 Leave them a little moist.

 Aim for a dry seed coat, but a moist seed kernel.

 Fill plastic bags half with seed, and slightly damp charcoal, peat moss,
sawdust, or sand.

 Keep the bags in a cool place.

 Open the bags for one-half hour each day to permit air to enter.
 SEED STORAGE….

Factors affecting Longevity in storage

 Seed condition

 Seed maturity: Fully ripened seeds viable longer than immature seeds.

 Parental and annual effects: Collection from high-cropping mother trees in

a seed year is best longevity in storage.

 Freedom from mechanical damage: Seeds damaged mechanically in

extraction, cleaning, dewinging etc. rapidly lose viability

 Freedom from physiological deterioration. Poor handling during transit or

processing causes physiological deterioration.

 Free from fungi and insects. Diseased seeds do not stored well, (store in
cool place to avoid fungi & disease)
 SEED STORAGE…..

Factors affecting Longevity in storage…..

Seed condition……

 Initial viability: Seed lots with high initial viability and germinative capacity
have a higher longevity in storage than those with low initial viability

 Storage conditions

 Infected storage with insects, disease & fungi reduce longivity.

 Suffocated storage condition (no ventilation) (Temperature and humidity)

 SEED STORAGE….
Factors affecting Longevity in storage….

 Seed moisture content

 In the first case manipulation of RH can effectively change MC of seeds to

the optimum for storage,

 in the second case MC can be maintained at or near that optimum by

maintaining a suitable RH in the atmosphere around and between the
seeds.

 Each species has its own recommended MC for storage

 Effect of MC: In orthodox seeds, moisture content is probably the most

important single factor in determining seed longevity

 Reduction in MC causes a reduction in respiration and thus slows down

ageing of the seed and prolongs viability.
 SEED STORAGE….
Factors affecting Longevity in storage….

Seed moisture content…..

 Relationship between MC and various processes within and around the

seed is as follows:

Above 45 – 60 % Germination begins

The seed may heat (due to a
Above 18 – 20 % rapid rate of respiration and
energy release)
Above 12 – 14 % Fungus growth can occur
Below   8 – 9 % Insect activity much reduced
4–8% Sealed storage is safe.
 A rule of thumb - the life of the seed is doubled for every 1 % decrease in
MC
 SEED STORAGE….
Factors affecting Longevity in storage…..

Seed moisture content…..

 A MC of 4 – 8 % is considered safe for most orthodox species; 5 % ± 1 %

is recommended for long-term storage for genetic conservation

 Moisture content is also important in recalcitrant seeds, but in this case

the critical MC is the minimum to which it is allowable to dry the seeds
rather than the maximum content for prolonged storage.

 The higher the MC, the higher the respiration rate, release higher
amounts of energy and there is a risk of overheating, increases fungal
activity, death of the seed,(loss of viability.)
 SEED STORAGE….
Factors affecting Longevity in storage

 Storage temperature

 Temperature, like moisture content, is negatively correlated with seed

longevity;

 the lower the temperature the lower the rate of respiration and thus the
longer the life-span of the seed in storage

 Rule of thumb, every 5 ° C lowering of storage temperature doubles the

life of the seed
Permanent Seed storage in cold store (AFE RFSC)
 SEED TREATMENT/PRETREATMENT

Treatment is required to:

 Hasten seed germination

 Ensure rapid and uniform seedling establishment

 Shorten the time of exposure of potted seeds to pests and other

stresses.
 SEED TREATMENT/PRETREATMENT

Types of Dormancy

 The simplest grouping distinguishes between

o Exogenous or seedcoat/pericarp dormancy

o Endogenous or embryo dormancy and

o Combined dormancy, in which both seed coat and embryo dormancy

occur at the same time.
 SEED TREATMENT/PRETREATMENT….

Types of Dormancy….

 Exogenous or seed coat/pericarp dormancy

o impermeability of seed coat or pericarp to water (physical)

o inhibitors in pericarp or seed coat (chemical)

o Mechanical resistance of pericarp or seed coat to embryo growth

(mechanical)

 Endogenous dormancy

o Morphological & Physiological; i.e. underdevelopment of embryo,

germination prevented by physiological inhibiting.
 SEED TREATMENT/PRETREATMENT

Treatments Designed to Break Exogenous or Seedcoat Dormancy

 The pretreatments include:

o physical and biological methods,

o dry heating and Soaking in boiling

or cold water

o Nicking, filing (secaturas, naill cliper,

file, Sand-paper)

o cracking by hammer or morsa

o Soaking in chemical solutions

(sulphuric acids, hydrogen per oxide)

o Moist Staratification
 SEED TREATMENT/PRETREATMENT…

Pretreatments for Endogenous dormancy

 After ripening for not matured seeds

 Cold stratification (chilling, scarification)

 Chemical treatments (gibberellic acid, citric acid, hydrogen peroxide etc.)

 SEED TESTING
Objective

The provision of an accurate estimate of the capacity of a given seed lot to produce
healthy, vigorous plants suitable for field planting.

 Standardization has been greatly facilitated through the adoption by a number of

countries of the International Rules for Seed Testing formulated by the International
Seed Testing Association (ISTA)

Main tests

 Purity analysis

 Weight determination

 Moisture content test

 Germination test
 SEED TESTING….

Sampling

 The sample on which the test is made has to be representative of the

whole

 the results can only show the quality of the sample submitted for analysis

 Completely homogeneous seed lots would be easy to sample, but they do

not exist

 A seed lot may be heterogeneous even if collected from a homogeneous

stand
 SEED TESTING….
Weight of sample

 Depends on the seed size types of the species.

 ISTA rules are intended to provide a minimum of 2500 seeds for all except
the very large-seeded species (500 seeds)

 The quantities are considered sufficient for most of the usual tests (purity,
seed weight, germination Moisture).
 SEED TESTING….
1. Purity Analysis

 The objective of purity analysis is to determine the composition of pure

seed, other seed & inert matter.

 Do in two replicate.

 It is the first test to be carried out because subsequent tests are made
only on the pure seed component.

 Pure seed; mature, undamaged seed, undersized, shrivelled,

immature and germinated seeds, broken seeds more than half size
can be definitely identified as the species under consideration.
 Other seed
 Inert matter
 SEED TESTING…
Purity Analysis….

 Weight pure seed, other seed & inert matter separately

 The percentage of pure seed is calculated as follows: :

 SEED TESTING….
2. Seed weight

 Made on the pure seed component separated by the purity test.

 Weight is normally expressed as the weight of 1000 pure seeds

 ISTA (1976) prescribes 8 replicates of 100 seeds.

 
a) Whole working sample

Count 1000 seeds randomly form the working sample by either a

counting machine or manually, weigh the seeds in grams.

This weight can be used to calculate the number of seeds in a gram or

kilo in the following manner:
 SEED TESTING…..
Seed weight…..

b) Replicates

Count 8 replicates of 100 seeds each from the working sample, weight each of them
separately.

Then calculate number of seeds per kilogram using ISTA formula,

No.of seeds/kg = No. of seeds in replicates x 1000

∑X

Where ∑ X=total sum of x in g

Replicate No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Mean

Weight (g) 3.81 3.69 3.75 3.79 3.82 3.72 3.71 3.79 30.08 3.76
 SEED TESTING….
Seed weight….

Reasons for Weight determination

 To know the amount of seeds to be used in planting program.

 To calculate no. of germinable seeds.
 It reduces waste of seeds when just a few seedlings are needed.
 SEED TESTING…..
3. Germination test

 Expressed as the percentage of pure seeds which produces normal

seedlings or as the number of seeds germinating per unit weight of the
sample
 It is an important task to measure the quality of seed lots

 Important to estimate the maximum number of seeds which can germinate

at optimum conditions.

 With a few exceptions, all germination tests should be made with pure
seeds separated by the purity test.

 Done in four replicate (400 seeds in 4 replicates of 100 seeds each)

by using suitable media depending on the spp. (Filter paper, sand, Agar,
nursury,)
 SEED TESTING…..
Germination test

 Evaluation

 A seed is considered to have germinated after the emergence and

development from the seed embryo of those essential structures which
are indicative of the seed's capacity to produce a normal seedling under
favourable conditions

 In a laboratory test the majority of the normal seedlings are usually

removed at the interim counts, but the assessment of many of the doubtful
and abnormal seedlings must be left until the end of the test

 For many species the initial count is carried out one week after starting
the test and assessments may be carried out at weekly intervals until the
test is ended
 SEED TESTING…..
Germination test

 Evaluation

 At the end of the test period, all remaining ungerminated seeds should be
cut and examined, and the number of fresh, firm and possibly viable
seeds recorded

 The record of the germination test commonly shows the percentage of

germinated and the percentage of ungerminated but apparently sound
seeds separately,
 SEED TESTING…..
4. Moisture content test

 it is essential to have reliable methods of measuring the amount of

moisture in a given sample in order to control the process of drying for
storage

 Two types of moisture content test

I. Quick method; using quick moisture analyzer

II. Oven method ;

 The test should be made on two samples of about 5,10… g each

depending on the spp, drawn from the working sample including
impurities, not on pure seeds.
 SEED TESTING….
Moisture content test….

 Large seeds should be ground, broken or cut into small fragments (over
10 mm in diameter or length should be broken).

 The samples should be weighed and placed in metal containers, well-

spaced to facilitate air circulation, within an oven which is maintained at a
temperature of 103° ± 2°C for 17 ± 1 hours. (ISTA rule).

 At the end of that period the seed should be placed in a desiccator to cool
for 30 – 45 minutes and then reweighed

 The calculation of moisture content should be made on a wet weight or

fresh weight basis
 SEED TESTING…..

Moisture content test…..

Moisture content (example of small seeds <12% MC)

Original weight Oven-dry Difference = 

weight % MC
moisture
   (wet wt. basis)
content
(g) (g) (g)  
Sample 1 5.65 5.14 0.51
Sample 2 4.92 4.47 0.45
 SEED TESTING…..

Interpretation of results

 It is important that results of tests should lead to decisions and action.

 For example an abnormally low purity % may indicate a further cleaning

operation for an organization which collects, processes and stores its own
seed;

 or it may lead to a contested account if the seed was bought and the
purity is less than that specified by the seller

 Determination of moisture content is necessary before deciding whether a

seed lot is suitable for immediate storage or should be subjected to further
drying

 Most important of all are the various measures of germination potential

and of the numbers of plants which can be produced from a unit weight of
seed. This affects both nursery management and the achievement of
afforestation targets
 Calculating No.of Germinable seeds/kg

No.of Germinable seeds/kg = P% X G% X No.of seed/kg

e.g. Result of Olia africana in our laboratory

 Purity = 99%, Germination = 58.5%, No.of seeds/kg = 6313

99% X 58.5% X 6313 = 0.99 X 0.585 X 6313 = 3656 germinable seeds

Let 200,000 seedlings are needed;

1kg = 3656 seedling = 1 kg X 200,000seedling

? = 200,000 seedling 3656 seedling

54 kg seed is needed
 Seed certification
All tree seed should be documented to provide information
regarding its origin, collection, handling and quality.
The objective of certification is to make certain that the
buyer receives what is being paid for.
 Seed Source Document

• Botanical and local name of the species

• Location and site information of seed source (elevation,
temperatures, rainfall, soil types, etc)
• Type of seed source (seed trees, seed production area, provenance,
seed orchard, other)
• Number of seed trees in the seed source
• Age of seed source
Seed certification…..
Seed Collection and Handling Document
• Botanical and local name of the species

• Date of seed collection

• Seed source; from where the seed was collected

• Number of seed trees from which the seed was collected

• Weight of fruit/seed collected

• Number of seed containers filled with the seed collected

• Name of collectors
Seed certification….
Seed Quality Document

• Botanical and local name of the species

• Seed lot number
• Date of seed testing
• Seed purity
• 1000 seed weight test
• Moisture content
• Percentage of germination or viable seed
 AMHARA FOREST ENTERPRISE REGIONAL FOREST SEED CENTER

SEED COLLECTION LABEL

(from field/ seed source site)

SCIENTIFIC NAME __________________________ LOCAL NAME ________________AFSC CODE _______

COLLECTION :LOCALITY _________________________WOREDA______________________ ZONE __________________________
PROVENANCE:________________________________SEED SOURCE CATEGORY_____________________________________

First Harvest date___________________________________________________________________

Last Harvest date __________________________________________________________________
QUANTITY (Kg)_____________________________________________________________________________________

REMARK ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Com./Checked by Name____________________Sign.___________Date_______________

Seed collection tag

 Forest and agro-forestry species
Species name
No. Local Name Scientific Name Altitude No of seeds/kg Purity % Germinatio % Nursery life
1 ግራር አልቢዳ Faidherbia albida up to 2600 7,500 - 10,000 98 60 - 90 4-5 Month
2 ግራር ባዝራ Acacia abyssinica 1500-2800 16,00 - 18,000 97 30 - 60 N.A
3 ግራር ፖሊካንታ Acacia polyacantha 500 - 1600 14,000 - 16,000 N.A 60 - 90 N.A
4 ግራር ናይሎቲካ Acacia nilotica 600 - 1700 7,000 - 11,000 N.A 60 - 80 N.A
5 ሲያል ግራር Acacia seyal 500 - 2,100 20,000 N.A 60 - 75 N.A
6 ጥቁር እንጨት Prunus africana 1,700 - 2,500 3,400 - 6,000 N.A 60 - 80 8-9 Month
7 ዋንዛ Cordia africana 900 - 2,500 2,500 - 4,500 N.A 50 - 80 5-7 Month
8ወይራ Olea Africana N.A 14,000 N.A 20 - 60 10-12 Month
9 ዝግባ Podocarpus falcatus 1,500 - 2,500 1,300 - 2,600 N.A 30 - 40 10 - 12 Month
10ብሳና Croton macrostachyus 1,100-2,500 16,000-27,000 N.A N.A N.A
11 የአበሻ ጽድ Juniperus procera 1,500 - 3,300 40,000- 50, 000 94 40 - 70 12-15 Month
12ላሎ Balanites aegyptiaca 0 - 1,800 1,000 N.A 50 - 70 4-8 Month
13ሰሳ Albizia gummifera 1,400 - 2,500 10,000-14,000 N.A 70 - 80 N.A
14ውልክፋ Dombia torida 1,600 - 3,400 235,000 97 N.A N.A
15ብርብራ Milletia ferruginea 1,600 - 2,800 1,600 - 2,000 N.A > 75 N.A
16ጋቫ Zizphus spina-chrisii N.A 1,000 - 2,000 N.A N.A N.A
17ዘንባባ Phoenix reclinata 700 - 2,600 900 - 5,000 N.A N.A N.A
18ኮሶ Hagenia abyssinica 2,300 - 3,300 200,000-500,000 50 40 - 60 4 Month
19ሰሳ Albiza lebbeck N.A 5,000-12,000 N.A N.A 4-10 Month
20 ቀይ ባህር ዛፍ Eucalyptus camandulesis 1,200-2,800 1 mil-2 million 50 < 40 4-5 Month
20 ነጭ ባ/ዛፍ Eucalyptus globulus 1,700 - 2,800 > 60,000 70 35 - 80 k 4 Month
22 ግራንዲስ ባ/ዛፍ Eucalyptus grandis 1700-2500 600000-650000 50 30 - 90 N.A
23 ሽቶ ባ/ዛፍ Eucalyptus citriodora 1,800 - 2,000 110000-1200000 N.A 60 - 90 N.A
24 ግራር ዴከረንስ Acacia decurrens 1,000-2,500 40,000-70,000 N.A 40 - 70 3-4 Month
25ኦሜድላ ግራር Acacia melanoxylon N.A 150,000 98 55 - 90 N.A
26ግራቪሊያ Gravilia robusta N.A 83,000 79 60 - 70 6-9 Month
27 ሽው ሽዌ Casuarina equistifolia 1,200 - 2,200 600,000-900,000 95 50 - 70 4-8 Month
28 ኒም (ኢንዲካ) Azadirachta indica 4000 - 1,500 5,000 93 N.A 3-4 Month
29የፈ. ጽድ Cupressus lusitanica N.A 160,000-290,000 90 30 - 45 7-8 Month
30 ፓይነስ ፓቹላ Pinus patula * 1,900- 3,000 110,000-170,000 98 75 - 85 9-11 Month
 Species Name

No. Local Name Scientific Name Altitude No of seeds/kg Purity % Germination % Nursery life
31ሳሊግና Acacia saligna N.A 14,000-80,000 N.A 55 - 90 5-6 month
32 ሳስባኒያ ሳስባን Sesbania sesban 300- 2,000 110,000 98 60 - 80 3-4 month
33ሉኪንያ Leucaena leucocephala
0 - 1,600 13,000-34,000 N.A 50 - 85 3-4 month
34የጫካ ነበልባል Spathodia niilotica 2,000 150,000 N.A 65 - 75 N.A
35 የጠመንጃ ዛፍ jacaranda mimosifolia 1,300 - 2,400 63,000-80,000 N.A 50 - 85 6-7 month
36የድሬደዋ ዛፍ Delonex regia 200 - 1,600 2,000 N.A 70 - 95 4 month
37 የእጣን ዛፍ Boswellia papyrifera 950- 1,800 N.A N.A N.A N.A
38 የእጣን ዛፍ Boswellia pirrotea N.A N.A N.A N.A N.A
39 የደጋ ቀርቀሃ Yushane alpine N.A N.A N.A N.A N.A
40 የቆላ ቀርቀሃ Oxytenanthera abyssinica N.A N.A N.A N.A N.A
41 ዶቅማ Syzygium guineense N.A 2,400 - 3,700 N.A N.A N.A
42ሽፈራው Moringa stenopetala N.A 4,200 96 70 - 90 N.A
43 የርግብ አተር Cajanus cajan 1,000- 2,400 15,000 N.A > 80 N.A
44 ትሪ ሉሰርን Chamaecytisus
palmensis 1,700 - 3,300 45,000 N.A N.A N.A
45 ቁንዶ በርበሬ schinus molle 2,400 31,000-44,000 98 40 - 80 6-8 month
46የሴኔጋል ግራር Acacia Senegal(sudan
type) 300 - 1,700 8,000 - 11,000 N.A 55 3-5 month
47 ሁመር Tamarandus indica 0 - 1,500 350 - 1,400 N.A 90 N.A

N.A : Not available

References:
1. Use ful tree and shrups (Azene Bekele)
2. Ethiopian forestery research center laboratory manual
3. Tree seed hand book of Kenya/GTZ forestry seed center Muguga
Thank you !!