UNIT- V 1

UNIT V -SEED PRODUCTION IN SPECIFIC CROPS once in 7 days to prevent damping off disease. Apply 2Kg of DAP 10
days prior to pulling out of seedlings. Spray rogar or metasystax @
SEED PRODUCTION IN VEGETABLES 1ml/lit of water for pest.

Vegetable seed production is completely different from TOMATO

vegetable production where the fully matured reproductive part is not
the economic produce. The reproductive part in younger stages are Botany:
consumed as vegetables in most cases. Tomato is a typical day neutral plant. It requires temperature
Vegetables broadly can be classified as solanaceous vegetables of 15-20° C for fruit setting. Tomato is self pollinated crop. Self
(tomato, brinjal and chillies) malvaceous vegetables (bhendi), fertilization is favoured by the position of receptive stigma within the
cucurbitaceous vegetables (snakegourd, ribbedgourd, bittergourd, cone anthers and the normal pendant position of the flower.
ashgourd, pumpkin and bottlegourd) and cruciferous vegetables Method of seed production: Seed to Seed.
(carrot, cabbage, knolkhol, cauliflower) based on the family origin. Stages of seed production: Breeder seed - Foundation Seed I -
The leafy vegetables are amaranthus, lettuce, spinach and fenugreek Foundation Seed II - Certified Seed
where vegetative part is used for consumption. Season: May - June and November - December
Land requirement
1. SOLANACEOUS VEGETABLES Selection of suitable land for tomato seed production is
important where the previous crop should not be the same variety to
The familiar three vegetable crops are raised on transplants. avoid the contamination due to the volunteer plants. Isolation
First the seeds are raised in nursery and the seedlings are used for requirement For Seed production of tomato, varieties require
transplanting.. minimum of 50 M for foundation seed and 25 M for certified seed.
For hybrid seed production, it requires minimum of 200 M for
Nursery bed preparation and management foundation (parental line increase) and 100 M for certified hybrid
Nursery bed should be in other field and should be under seeds
partial shade. Apply farm yard manure to the nursery area and Seed rate: 300 g / ha
incorporate well before formation of raised nursery beds. The bed size Age of seedling- 25-30 days.
of 1m breadth, 2m length and 30cm height will be ideal for nursery. Spacing
The soil should be porous and loose for easy penetration of roots. Variety : 60 x 30 cm
Lines are drawn at 10cm apart. Seeds are sown sparsely at 1cm depth Hybrid : 90 x 60 cm
and covered with river sand. Watering is done with rosecan initially Fertlizers
and after germination flood irrigation is done. Seeds germinate within Total : 150 : 100 : 100 NPK kg / ha
8 days. Drench the beds with copper oxy chloride @ 5 g/lit of water Basal : 75 : 100 : 100

V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)

UNIT- V 2

Top dressing : At the time of flowering 75 kg N. Conventional method of hybrid seed production
Foliar application In this method, there are two steps generally followed viz.,
NAA @ 20 ppm 65 and 75 days after planting followed every emasculation and hand pollination. As tomato is a self-pollinated crop,
time by spraying urea at 12 kg, Super phosphate 4kg, 2 kg potassium the parental lines are maintained. The male parental lines have to be
sulphate and 200 g of micronutrient mixture dissolved in 100 lit water raised atleast 15 days in advance of raising female parent so that there
/ acre. will not be any problem for availability of pollen for hybridization in
Harvest the first truss of flowers produced by female parent. A female : male
Seeds attain maturity 30-45 days after flowering parental ratio of 5:1 is recommended. Flower buds of female parent
Harvest fully matured, red, ripened and healthy fruits. First 8 - are emasculated 12 - 14 hours before opening. Flowers of male parent
10 pickings alone should be used for seed extraction. are bagged at bud stage and are picked up in the early morning. The
Seed extraction pollen is collected in dry petridishes, as stamens are hygroscopic. The
Well-matured fruits are crushed and made into a pulp. For receptivity of stigma is 21-36 hours before opening of flowers.
every 1-kg of pulp add 20-30 ml of commercial HCL acid and keep Pollination is done generally in the morning hours between 7.00 a.m.
for 30 minutes with constant stirring. At the end of 30-minutes wash and 10.00 a.m.
the seeds 3-4 times with water and air-dry the seeds.
Grading The steps followed in the production of hybrid seeds are
12 x 12 wire mesh (2.1 mm) sieve are used.  Raise the female and male parents during optimum season in
Storage the ratio of 5:1
Dry the seeds to 7-8 % moisture and treat with thiram or  Select one or two well-developed flower buds of female
captan 75 % WP @ 2 g. The treated seeds can be stored upto 12 parent, which will open the next day.
months in paper bags and upto 24 months in moisture vapour proof  Emasculate the flower bud in the evening by removing the
containers. anther cone using clean and pointed forceps or head pin.
 Cover the emasculated flowers with butter paper cover of
HYBRID SEED PRODUCTION IN TOMATO convenient size preferably, 10 x 5 cm to prevent foreign pollen
contamination.
Tomato is predominantly a self-pollinated crop and only less  Cover the flower buds of pollen parent. Use covers of different
than 5.0 per cent cross-pollination has been reported. The colours for male and female parents.
conventional method of hybrid seed production in tomato involves 2  Collect pollen from the male parent between 7.00 a.m to 10.00
basic steps viz., emasculation and hand pollination which makes a.m in a clean petridish.
hybrid seed production expensive.  Dust the pollen on the receptive stigma of the emasculated
flower using camel hair brush.

V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)

UNIT- V 3

 After hand pollination, cover the crossed flowers with butter attractive in colour, recovery is very high, remove the external seed
paper cover and label for identification. borne pathogens and do not clog each other while drying. Seed quality
 Remove all other flower buds leaving one or two crossed is also very high.Seed recovery is 0.8-1.0 %.
flowers in a truss to ensure good fruit set. (III) Alkali method
 Allow the flower with cover for seven days to set fruits and By using sodium bicarbonate solution (30-35g/I of water) at
remove the cover after ensuring fruit set. 1:1 ratio of the solution and pulp for 12 hours will separate the seeds
from the pulp, which will be washed and dried under shade.
SEED EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES IN TOMATO Disadvantage is seed colour will be dull.
(IV) Mechanical extraction
Fruit Grading Tomato seeds are also extracted by using tomato seed extractor
or pulper for large scale seed extraction. The seed extraction consists
Based on fruit size and shape, true to type fruits are selected of two units operated by electric motor, one is fruit pulper or crusher
for seed extraction and large to medium sized fruits alone to be used and second one is seed and pulp separator. The whole unit is made up
for extraction of higher seed recovery. In tomato seeds are extracted of stainless steel. Here extraction is immediate, seed recovery is high
from fully ripened (reddish) fruits by different methods. They are: and pulp/juice can be further used for making byproduct like jam,
(I) Fermentation method jelly etc., The cost of seed extraction is Rs.7.5/kg.
The fruits are pulped by trampling under foot or using a pulper Seed yield: 150 kg/ha
and collect the pulp in plastic container or cement tank. The pulp is
allowed to ferment overnight. The next day seeds get separated from
the pulp. The floating fraction is removed and discarded and the BRINJAL
sinkers (due to bacterial degradation the seed is fermented and settle Season: June - July.
down in the bottom of the container) are collected, washed well and Seed rate: 450 g / ha
dried in the shade for 1-2 days and then in sun between 8 -12 noon Nursery preparation
and 2-5 pm. 15 days before sowing drench the nursery with methane
(II) Hydrocholoric acid method sodium @ 28 ml / sq. m. for controlling the nematodes, after 7 days
The fruits are pulped by trampling under foot or by using a with copper oxychloride @ 5 g / lit to prevent damping off.
pulper and collect the pulp in a plastic container or cement tank. Add Age of seedling: 30-35 days.
commercial hydrocholric acid @ 20-30ml Kg-1 of pulp and keep it for Spacing: 75 x 60 cm
20-25min with occasional stirring. The seeds get separated from the
pulp and sink to the bottom. The floaters can be removed by Fertlizers
discarding. The seeds are collected, washed well with water 3-4 times Total : 150 : 75 : 75 NPK kg / ha
and dried in shade. The advantages of this method are the seeds are Basal : 100 : 75 : 75
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 4

Top dressing : Just before flowering 50 kg N/ ha. HYBRID SEED PRODUCTION IN BRINJAL
Brinjal potentially a self-pollinated crop is classified as an
often cross-pollinated crop, about 30 to 40 per cent natural cross-
Supplemental foliar application pollination occurs through insects.
NAA @ 20 ppm 65 and 75 days after planting followed every Hybrid seed production in brinjal is done by emasculation and
time by spraying urea at 12 kg, super phosphate 4kg, 2 kg potassium hand pollination. The flowers of the brinjal plant are quite
sulphate and 200 g of micronutrient mixture dissolved in 100 lit water conspicuous and emasculation is fairly easy. A ratio of 10:1 for
/ acre. female and male parental lines would be the most optimum for
efficient production of hybrid seeds. The following steps are adopted
Harvest for hybrid seed production.
Seeds attain maturity 40-45 days after flowering The symptom
of harvestable maturity is turning of the skin colour from green to  Raise the female and male parents at an isolation distance of 200
bright yellow. Medium size fruits yield more quantity and quality seed m from each other as well as from other varieties. The male parent
than big or small fruits. has to be raised 15-20 days ahead of the female parent.
 In the plants of female parent, select well developed plumpy long
Seed extraction styled flower buds which are going to open on the next day
Well-matured ripened fruits are cut into 4 - 6 pieces and morning (which can be identified by the prominent ovary)
softened by soaking in water overnight. On extraction the floaters are  Emasculate the flower buds on the previous day evening between
removed. 3.00 and 5.00 p.m. using a needle by removing the anthredial cone
carefully. Cover the emasculated flower buds with butter paper.'
Grading  Similarly on the previous day evening cover the flower of male
Sieve size : 5/ 64 round perforated metal (2.1 mm) sieve or parent from which pollen is going to be collected on the next day
BSS 12 x 12 wire mesh sieve (2.1 mm) are used. morning.
 Next day morning by 6.00 p.m. collect the flower buds before
Storage opening and separate the anthers and put in a petridish covered by
Treat the seeds with either thiram or captan 75 % WP @ 2 g + glass.
200 mg. The treated seeds can be stored upto 2 years in moisture  Keep the petridish against sunlight to facilitate dehiscence of
vapour proof containers. anthers and release of pollen grains.
 Remove the butter paper cover on the emasculated flower and dust
the pollen over the stigmatic surface with the help of camel
hairbrush.

V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)

UNIT- V 5

 Rebag the flower and label. Since the stigma is receptive for 4 Seed extraction
days, remove the bags only after 8-10 days when fertilized ovary Dried fruits are taken in a gunny or cloth bag and threshed
is prominently seen. with a pliable bamboo stick or TNAU model chill seed extractor. The
 After full maturity, extract the seeds. seeds are separated and graded.
 On an average of 400 kg of hybrid seeds can be obtained from one
hectare. Grading
Sieve size: 8/ 64" round perforated metal sieve or 8 x 8 wire
CHILLIES mesh sieve (3.1 mm) are used.

Season: June - July Storage

Seed rate: 1 kg / ha Intact pods can also be stored upto 20 months. Seeds dried to
Age of seedling : 30-35 days 7 to 8 % moisture content and treated with captan 75% WP 4g / kg.
Spacing: 60 x 30 cm Seeds can be stored upto 10 months in cloth bag and 18 months in
Fertlizers moisture vapour proof containers.
Total : 140: 70: 70 NPK / ha
Basal :50: 70: 70 kg NPK / ha HYBRID SEED PRODUCTION IN CHILLIES
Top dressing :50 kg N 15 days after transplanting. 50 kg N
45 days after transplanting and 40 kg N 90 days after transplanting. The hybrid seed production in chilli is by adopting the
emasculation and pollination technique. Emasculation may be done
Foliar application early in the morning or in the previous evening before opening of
NAA @ 20 ppm 65 and 75 days after planting followed every flower. With the help of a pair of forceps, the petals are easily parted
time by spraying urea at 12 kg, super phosphate 4kg, 2 kg potassium and anthers are removed and bagged.
sulphate and 200 g of micronutrient mixture dissolved in 100 lit water Late in the morning or early in the afternoon of the following
/ acre. day, fresh flowers should be plucked from intended male parents
which have been previously bagged and pollen dusted in the stigma of
Harvest the emasculated flowers. The pollen is dry and powdery and easily
Seeds mature 40-45 days after planting. Harvest the fruits dislodged from the anthers with a camel hair brush.Te bag should be
when they become capsicum red in colour. Fruits obtained from first 5 replaced and labels denoting of parents and date of pollination should
to 6 pickings alone can be used for seed extraction. be tied outside the bag.
Crossing is found to be successful when the plant is in full
bloom. During cloudy weather, crossing should be avoided, as setting
is very low in such conditions. The ratio of seed parent to pollen
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 6

should be 5:1. Hand emasculation and hand pollination are the most Foliar application
expensive method of hybrid seed production because of high labour DAP @ 0.5 % thrice at 10 days interval commencing with first
cost and low fruit set percentage. Therefore hand pollination without flowering enhances the yield of good quality seeds.
emasculation is done using male sterility. Hence genetic male sterility Harvest
mechanism is more economical and can be exploited for hybrid seed Seeds mature 28-30 days after anthesis. Harvest the pods when
production. The 50% heterozygous male fertile plants are removed in they dry and turn brown and develop hairline cracks along the ridges.
the female plant and 50% homozygous male sterile plants are kept for In bhendi first formed two pickings can be used for vegetable purpose
hybrid seed production. The expression of genic male sterility is and the next 6 pickings can be used for seed purpose.
affected by environment especially temperature. The male sterility
less sensitive to environmental factors should be selected for hybrid Seed extraction
seed production. Few hybrids developed in Chilli are Agni, HOE 808, Harvested pods can be dried in the sun for 2-3 days and seeds
HOE 888, CH 1, HOE 818, BSS 138, BSS 141, ARCH 228, CH 104, can be extracted in a machine thresher or by hand with pliable
Capscicum are Bharat, Early Bonty, Indira, Lario and Green gold. bamboo stick.
Grading
BHENDI Sieve size: 10/ 64" round perforated metal sieve or 6 x 6 wire
mesh sieve (4.2 mm) are used.
Season: March, April and May Upgrading; To remove the empty seeds, water flotation
technique is adopted. Air dry the seeds.
Seed rate: 8 - 10 kg / ha Storage
Seeds can be easily stored when they are dried to 8 %
Spacing: 60 x 20 cm moisture content and treated with halogen formulatioan (bleaching
powder + CaCO3 + arappu leaf powder @ 5:4:1 @ 3 g / kg or captan
Fertlizers 75% WP 4g / kg.Seeds can be stored upto 15 months in cloth bag and
Total : 60: 50: 30 NPK / ha 24 months in moisture vapour proof containers.
Basal : 40 : 50 : 30 kg NPK / ha
Top dressing : 20 : 0: 0 kg NPK / ha
1. 10 kg N / ha at first flowering
2. 10 kg N / ha 10 days after
flowering.

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UNIT- V 7

SEED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF GOURDS Harvest

Fruits can be harvested at visible yellow to orange skin
SNAKE GOURD initiation stage.
Snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina L) is also called
Chicinda. Seed extraction
Manually the immature seeds can be removed as water floaters
Season during wet extraction. After drying the seeds the immature and small
July - December and January - June. sized seeds should be removed as air blown rejects. 16/64" round hole
sieve may be used.
Pre-sowing treatment
Pre germination of seeds by soaking in double the volume of Storage
water for 4 hours enhance the seed germination. Seeds dried to 7 to 8 % moisture content and dry dressed with
thiram / captan 75% wettable powder or halogen mixture @ 3 g / kg
Seed rate of seeds, can be stored in cloth bag upto 10 months and over 18
1.5 kg /ha. months in moisture vapour proof containers.
Spacing
Dig pits of size 45 x 45 cm at 2.5 x 2.0 m spacing . Sowing 5 BITTER GOURD
seeds per pit and thin the seedling after 15 days after sowing
Manuring Bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia L) is also called Balsam
100 g of the mixture (6:12:12) per pit as basal and 10 g N/pit pear.
30 days after sowing.
Stacking: Season
Provide stacks and train the plants to reaches the pandal height June to July and January to February.
of 2m in 20 to 25 days after sowing.
Foliar application Sowing
Maleic hydrazide @ 400 ppm at 2 leaves stage and 5 leaves Sowing pre-germinated seeds to maintain optimum field
stage enhances the seed yield and quality or application of ethrel @ population, the seeds are soaked in water for 24 hours. Then place the
100 to 200 ppm at weekly intervals from 4th LEAF stage. During the seeds in moistened sand and cover the seeds with sand and left for 3
course of fruit development apply urea @ 12 kg / ha, super phosphate days. Maintain the sand in wet condition. After 3 days the seeds with
4 kg /ha, potash 2 kg /ha and micronutrients 400 g/ha. protruding radicle are separated and used for sowing.
Seed rate
1.8 kg /ha
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 8

Spacing Grading
45 x 45 cm at 2.5 x 2 m . dip 3 seeds per pit. Grade the seeds using BSS 4 x 4 size .
Storage
Manuring Captan or thiram 4 gm/kg of seeds or halogen mixture @ 5
Apply 10 kg FYM per pit. g/kg of seeds.

Top dressing ASH GOURD

i. Urea 22 g / pit during 1st flowering.
ii. Urea + potash 18 + 5 gm/pit during 20 days after Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida cogn) is otherwise called wax
flowering. gourd.
iii. Urea 18 gm + potash 5 gm/ pit during 40 days after
flowering. Season
January - May and June - November.
Foliar application
Spray ethrel 200 ppm from 4 leaves stage onwards at 1 week Seed rate
interval for 4 times. 1.5 kg / ha.
Stacking:
Provide stacks and train the plants to reaches the pandal height Manuring
of 2m in 20 to 25 days after sowing. 100 g of the mixture (6:12:12) per pit as basal and 10 g N / pit
Harvest 30 days after sowing.
Change of fruit colour to orange.
Foliar application
Seed extraction Maleic hydrazide @ 400 ppm at 2 leaves and 5 leaves stages
Cut the fruits longitudinally, then remove the seeds along with enhances the seed yield and quality or ethrel @ 100-200 ppm at
mucilaginous material. Then wash the seeds with water. weekly intervals from 4 leaves stage for 4 times.
During the course of fruit development apply urea 12 kg / ha,
Drying super phosphate 4 kg/ha, potash @ 2 kg /ha and micronutrients 400 g /
Dry the seeds under shade for one or 2 days. Then dry under ha.
sun to 7-8% for storing in cloth bag and 6% for moisture vapour
proof containers.

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UNIT- V 9

Harvest QUALITY SEED PRODUCTION IN SMALL ONION

Fruits can be harvested 80-85 days after anthesis when stalk
becomes dry and ashy coat prominent. Fruits weighing < 2.5 kg
should be rejected. Selection of land for quality seed production
The selection of land is the first and foremost task for a seed
Seed extraction producer. The seed production plot must be selected carefully. A
Fresh fruits can be used for extraction.On fresh extraction fertile and healthy seed plot will certainly produce quality seed. The
immature seeds can be removed as floaters. Cutting the fruits into field selected for seed production must not have been sown with onion
longitudinal bits and soaking in 1:6 concentrated HCl acid for 30 in the previous season. This is done to avoid volunteer plants that
minutes and wash the seeds with water 2 to 3 times to remove the cause admixture. Fields continuously cultivated with onion may
acid. harbour root rot or wilt pathogen. Hence, such fields must be avoided
wherever possible. Following crop rotation will help to reduce
Grading endemic pathogen. Soil with neutral pH must be selected. Loam or
Using 16 / 64" round perforated metal sieve or BSS 4 x 4 wire clay loam soils are best suited. Higher organic matter will lead to
mesh sieve grade the seeds. production of vigorous seed.
Storage
Selecting the right season for raising seed crop
Fruit storage
i. Half matured fruits available at the last harvest can be Quality of seed depends on season in which it is grown. Onion
removed and stored over sand bed at ambient conditions. On seed production is entirely differ from onion bulb or vegetable
dry storage seed develops and can be used for seed extraction. production. For onion seed production requires two different seasons.
Facilitate early field release. In one season quality bulbs are produced and the bulbs are again
ii. Fruits weighing not less than 2 kg without bruishes and proper planted in second season for true seed production. The first season
protection from insect pathogen and rodents can be stored over should be suitable for healthy and quality bulb production. The second
sand for more than 6 months. The loss in fruit weighing season should be suitable for the better growth of bulb so that it
facilitate good flowering and seed setting. Considering these two
amount to 35% with germination of 80-90%
factors, June-September is the best season for bulb production and
iii. Seeds should be dried to 8% moisture and treated with thiram
October-March .is for true seed production. The above seasons
4 kg of seeds or halogen mixture 5 g / kg and stored in must be followed strictly otherwise there won't be any seed set.
moisture vapour proof container for longer storage.
Low temperature prevailing during the early second season
facilitates easy flowering of bolting. Similarly dry weather, medium
RH and temperatures are important for seed setting and maturity. The
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 10

above factors facilitate for harvesting higher yield of quality seeds in It is more important that nursery beds should be formed with
onion. one meter breadth. This facilitates easy weeding and proper
application of fertilizers or nutrients.
Producing quality seedlings for transplanting
Selection of quality seeds will pave way for production of Isolation distance
vigourous seedling and it is more important. Transplanting healthy 1000 m for foundation seeds
and vigourous seedlings in the main field will be useful for the 800 m for certified seeds
seedling to grow faster by utilizing the applied nutrients, develops
resistance to pest and diseases and avoid gap filling operations. Fertilizer application
Hence, proper nursery management is more important to produce
healthy vigourous seedlings. Application of 2 kg DAP (or) 6 kg urea plus 12kg super
phosphate per cent nursery will be useful for the growth of the
Seed selection seedlings. Also it will be helpful for pulling out of seedlings without
any damage to root system. Transplanting these healthy seedlings is
The quality seed should be used for getting healthy seedlings. highly useful for easy crop establishment in main field.
The crop yield to tally depends on the seed quality. In seed crop, we
should aim for higher yield without sacrificing genetic purity and it is Age of the seedling
more important. The yield and quality depend on the seed selection.
Hence, for raising seed crop we should choose breeder seed or The age of the seedling is more important for crop
foundation seeds. establishment and it also influences the crop yield. Hence, for onion
35-40 days old seedlings are found to be optimum age for
Nursery preparation and sowing transplanting.

After selection of quality seeds, it is more important to produce Production of quality onion
healthy seedlings. For raising vigourous seedlings we have to form
raised nursery beds in an area of three cents applied with 200 kg of During the first season in onion seed production we have to
decomposed farm yard manure. produce the quality bulbs. It is more important because the seed yield
and quality depend on the bulbs that are produced.
Sowing
For transplanting one acre, 2.5 - 3 kg of seeds can be sown in the
raised nursery beds formed in an area of 3 cents. On the nursery beds,
seeds should be sown in lines formed at a distance of 10 cm. After Main field preparation and management
sowing, the seeds should be covered with sand or loose soil. Then the
beds must be irrigated by immersing of the whole beds with water. Land selected for raising seed crop should be ploughed thoroughly
After germination, nursery would be irrigated once in a week. for two (or) three times. At the last plough, 20 tonnes of FYM per acre
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 11

has to be incorporated into the soil. Then ridges and furrows are to be seed crop. Hence, in the onion seed crop field removal of off type
formed at a spacing of 20 Cm. plants, weeds and disease infested plants is to be done scrupulously
After forming the ridges and furrows, the recommended doses of N, P before it comes to harvest to avoid the physical contamination.
and K fertilizers has to be applied on the 1/3 rd height of ridges as a The roguing operations are to be taken at different stages namely
basal dose. Application of basal doses of fertilizers will be more vegetative stage and after harvest.
important and support for the early vigourous growth of the seedlings.
The basal fertilizer requirement per acre for onion seed crop is as Bulb harvest
follows.
Urea: 26 kg, Super: 144 kg and Potash: 19 kgs Bulb harvest may be done at 110-115 days after planting (or) a
week after the visual symptom of fallen of leaves in 50% population
Transplanting at that stage bulbs attained full maturity. The bulbs should be lifted
from the soil along with leaves. The lifted bulbs along with leaves
The healthy seedlings pull out from well maintained nursery has to should be allowed in the field (or) in the shade for curing for 3-5 days.
be used for transplanting. After the irrigation i.e. complete soaking of Then the leaves are to be cut at an height of 2.5 cm from the neck of
ridges, single seedling should be transplanted at the spacing of 10 Cm. the bulb.

Weeding True seed production

From the beginning, onion field should be maintained in such way Only during second season we are doing true seed production.
that it must be free from weed. Because, weed growth will affect the The bulbs produced during June-September are being used for
quality bulb harvest. Hence, two manual weeding may be taken up at planting. The seed yield and quality depend on the technologies we
20-25 days after planting and 40-45 days after planting. This will are following during second season.
facilitate quality bulb production.
Top dressing Bulb selection and grading
Top dressing with fertilizer is more important for onion bulb
production, other wise it will not be useful for further transplanting for Based on the colour, shape and size of the bulb and
onion true seed production. Hence, 26 kg of urea may be applied as confirming to varietal characters should be selected for sowing. Then
top dress on 30th day after planting. This will be useful for vegetative the selected bulbs have to be cured for at least 15 days. The bulbs
growth and bulb growth. selected confirming varietal character should possess at least 4-6 cm
diameter. The smaller bulbs may be used for vegetable purpose.
Roguing for quality bulb production
In the main field sometime abnormal difference in growth habits The cool weather prevailing after bulb planting will be useful for good
in some plants may be noticed and this shows the admixture of some flowering. Good sun shine at the time of full blooming stage will
other varieties. This may very much affect the genetic purity of that facilitate the activity of beneficial insects for higher rate of cross
particular onion seed crop and ultimately the crop will not be fit for a pollination and seed set. The relative humidity should be lower at the
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 12

time of seed development. All these factors will be there during seed. Hence, two manual weeding may be taken up at 20-25 days
October-November. planting and 40-45 days after planting. This will facilitate for
flowering production.
Bulb treatment
Top dressing
The top portion (3-5 mm) of the bulb has to be cut and removed.
Then the bulbs are to be treated with bavistin (or) dithane M45 @ 20 Top dressing with fertilizer is more important for seed
g/l0 litre of water for 5-10 minutes before sowing. This will protect production. Hence, 26 kg of urea may be applied as top dress on 30th
the bulb from soil borne pathogen until its germination. after day planting. This will be useful for good flowering and seed set.

Main field preparation and management Roguing for quality seed production

Land selected for raising seed crop should be ploughed thoroughly Already we have seen the importance of isolation distance for
for two (or) three times. At the last plough, 20 tonnes of FYM per acre quality seed crop. Now, we are going to learn how the off types and
has to be incorporated into the soil. Then ridges and furrows are to be rogues influence the quality of seed and by roguing operation how
formed at a spacing of 30 cm. the genetic purity of the variety is being maintained
After forming the ridges and furrows, the recommended doses of N, P
and K fertilizers has to be applied on the 1/3rd height of ridges as a In the main field sometime we are noticing abnormal difference
basal dose. Application of basal doses of fertilizers will be more in growth habits in some of the plants and this shows the admixture
important and support for the early vigourous growth of the seedlings. of some other varieties. This may very much affect the genetic purity
The basal fertilizer requirement per acre for onion seed crop is as of that particulars onion seed crop and ultimately the crop will not be
follows. fit for a seed crop. Hence, in the onion seed field, removal of off type
Urea: 26 kg, Super: 144 kg and Potash: 19 kgs plants, weeds and disease infested plants is to be done scrupulously
before it comes to harvest to avoid the genetic contamination.
Planting
In roguing operations are to be taken at different stages namely
Treated bulbs alone must be used for planting. After complete vegetative stage, flowering and after harvest.
soaking of ridges, the bulbs are to be planted at 10 cm spacing. The
women are playing major role in bulb planting. The field should be Harvest
again irrigated three days after planting. This facilitate for easy
germination of bulbs. Harvest must be done only after complete maturation of seed. The
Weed management best time of harvest is the 50% of the seeds in the umbel is exposed.
At the stage umbels alone should be harvested in 3 to 4 pickings at an
From the beginning, the field should be maintained from free interval of 45 days. The harvested umbels have to be dried under
of weeds, otherwise the weed competition will reduce the quality of shade.
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 13

Harvest must be done at the time of 50 % of seeds in the umbel is broken, immature and diseased seeds, other crop and weed seeds, mud
exposed, otherwise there will be shattering loss in seed yield. and other inert matters. For processing onion seeds, BSS 10 x 10 wire
mesh sieve should be used.
Methods to improve seed quality
Storage of unprocessed seeds results in poor viability. In processing,
The seeds must be properly separated from the umbels. While seed the sieves must be cleaned while changing to other variety otherwise it
leads to physical admixture results in genetic contamination. Hence,
extraction there should not any damage to seed. Then the seeds must
utmost care must be taken during processing of seeds to maintain
be dried properly. quality.

Seed extraction Protecting seeds during storage

The properly dried umbels are to be taken in a cloth bag and the Importance must be given for proper storage of seeds until next
seeds may be separated by hand rubbing (or) beating against with season as that of the importance given for production.
pliable bamboo sticks. The extracted seed should be cleaned by
manual winnowing. Moisture content

Seed drying Seed quality mainly depends on the seed moisture. If seed
The extracted seed must be dried properly under shade for 8 to 10 moisture content is high normally it loses its viability at faster rate.
hours after spreading over the gunny bags. Then, it can be dried For short term storage seed moisture content should be reduced to 7-
further under open sun light between 8 to 12 noon and 3 to 5 PM. 8% and can be stored in cloth. For long term storage seed moisture
Avoid drying in between 12 to 3 PM, since the rays emits from sun content should be reduced to 6% and stored in moisture vapor proof
and the heat may affect containers.
the seed viability.
Seed treatment
After extraction seeds should not be dried under direct sun light
between 12-3 pm. And also seeds should not be dried continuously Seeds must be treated with fungicides before storage. The seeds
from the morning to evening. These two factors will affect the may be treated with captan or Thiram @ 4 g/kg of seeds. The seeds
germination. can also be treated with halogen mixture @ 5g/kg of seed and it is a
ecofriendly seed treatment.
Seed processing
Storage containers
After proper drying, the seed processing is essential. This will be
helpful for maintaining high vigour and viability by way of removing Seeds could able to absorb moisture from atmosphere. Hence for
immature and small seeds. In the processing we have to remove storing seeds in the coastal region (or) river sides we should use
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 14

moisture vapour proof containers i.e. 700 gauge polyethylene bags. Seed standards
For seed storage every time new containers must be used.
Pure seed (minimum) 98.0%
Seed certification Inert matter (maximum) 2.0%
Other crop seeds
Seed certification guarantees the quality of seed as it ensures that 10/kg
(maximum)
the certified seed has the genetic, physical, physiological and seed Weed seeds (Maximum) 10 /kg
health qualities. Genetic purity means that the seed gives rise to a
Germination (minimum) 70%
plant which conforms to the varietal characteristics of the variety. The
physical purity means that the seed is free from stones, broken seeds, Moisture (maximum)
straw bits and leaf bits etc. Physiological quality is measured by For vapour proof containers 6.0%
germination and seed health envisages freedom from pest and Moisture previous
8.0
diseases. containers

Seed certification is being done in many stages. It starts from

verifying whether seeds were obtained from authenticated source,
verification of isolation distance and inspection during plant growth,
flowering, harvesting, processing and bagging. Also seed samples are
drawn form the seed lot and sent to seed testing lab to test whether the
seeds are possessing required physical purity and germination. Then
certification tag is issued. Colour of the tag is blue for certified seeds.

Only those seeds harvested from fields having prescribed field

standards and possessing required seed standards are certified by the
Certification Agency. Seeds thus certified are offered for sales. For
further details nearer seed certification office may be contacted.

Minimum certification standards

Field standard
Other variety
0.2%
bulbs (max.)
Off types (max.) 0.2%

V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)

 UNIT- V 15

QUALITY SEED PRODUCTION IN BELLARY ONION Bulb sowing

The treated bulbs are sown on the ridges during October -November.
Season:
May – June Spacing
Pre-sowing seed treatment 50 x 20 cm.
Sand matrix priming with 80 % water holding capacity for 24 h
Harvest
drying back to original moisture content
The earheads are harvested during March when 50 % of the seeds
Seed rate:
in umbels turn into black color, to prevent the shattering loss
6 - 8 kg of graded seed/ha.
Transplanting: Seed extraction
Seedlings of 35 - 40 days may be transplanted in the main field on The ear heads are dried under sun and the seeds are extracted by
both sides of the ridges.
beating with pliable sticks.
Spacing:
20 x 10 cm. Seed grading
Fertilizer application: The seeds are graded by using BSS : 10 x 10 wire mesh sieve (2.5
FYM : 25 t/ha. mm) or 6/64" round perforated metal sieve.
Application N P K
Basal kg /ha 30 60 30 Seed yield:
Top dress (30th day) kg / ha 30 - - 500 - 600 kg/ha

Harvest Seed storage

Well-matured bulbs are harvested at 110 – 115 days.
The seeds are dried to reduce the moisture content to 6 - 8 % and
Bulb grading treated with carbendazim 50 % WP @ 2 g /kg seed.
Medium sized bulbs weighing 40 - 50 g or large bulbs with > 2.5 cm
diameter and medium size with 2.1 – 2.5 cm diameter are selected. Marigold
Climate:
Bulb treatment Mari gold requires mild climate for luxuriant growth and
The top 1/3rd of the bulb is removed and treated with fungicides either flowering. Mild climate during growing period (14.5° - 28.6°C)
carbendazim or mancozeb at 20 g in 10 lit of water for 5 – 10 minutes greatly improves flowering while higher temperature (26.2° - 36.4°C)
adversely affects flower production. Depending on environmental
condition, marigold can be grown three times in a year – rainy, winter
and summer seasons.
V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)
UNIT- V 16

Soil: straw to accelerate germination process. However the straw should be

Marigold is adaptable to different types of soil conditions and thus can removed as soon as the seedlings are visible above the soil. Seeds
be grown successfully in a wide variety of soils. However, a deep, germinate 5-7 days after sowing.
fertile, friable soil having good water holding capacity, well drained Transplanting of seedlings:
and nearer to neutral in reaction (pH 7.0 – 7.5) is most desirable. An
Land should be ploughed 2 to 3 times to bring the soil to a fine tilth.
ideal soil for marigold cultivation is fertile and sandy loam. One month old seedlings with 3-4 leaves are fit for transplanting.
Selection of site: Watering of nursery bed one day prior to uprooting will lessen the
A sunny location is ideal for marigold cultivation. Under shade, it damage to root system. Uprooting of seedlings and transplanting
produces more vegetative growth and do not produce any flowers. should be done in the evening hours for better establishment.
Highest yields are upturned when planting is done during August - Spacing:
September. Rainfall during rainy season and high temperatures during
Proper spacing between plants is required for better development of
summer will affect the flower quality plant and higher flower yield. The following spacing is recommended
Field Preparation and Sowing: for marigold.
Preparation of Field:  1) African marigold: 40 X 30cm or 60 X30 cm.
Nursery beds are thoroughly prepared by digging and incorporating  2) French marigold: 20 X 20cm or 20 X15cm
well rotten FYM. Before sowing the seeds, Malathion dust should be Manures and Fertilizers:
dusted on outer side of nursery beds to avoid ants. Incorporate 50 tonnes of Farm Yard Manure/hectare during the last
Planting Material and Propagation: ploughing. Apply 400 kg N, 200 kg P2O5 and 80 kg K2O per hectare.
Half of nitrogen, entire dose of phosphorus and potash should be
Marigold is mainly propagated by seeds. Besides; it can also
applied as basal dose, preferably one week after transplanting. Rest
propagated by herbaceous cuttings. Crop raised from seeds is tall,
half of Nitrogen should be given two or three times during the
vigorous and heavy bloomer.
vegetative growth period preferably applied one month after first
By Seed application at fifteen days interval. Irrigate after each application of
Seed rate for marigold varies from 2.0 – 2.5 Kg per hectare and takes fertilizers.
about 5-7 days for germination. For raising seedlings seeds can be Intercultural operations:
sown in pots, seed boxes or on flat or raised nursery beds in lines in
In marigold control of weeds is an important operation. If the weeds
shallow furrows. During preparation of nursery beds 8-10 Kg of well
are not removed in time, a great loss would occur in terms of growth
decomposed farm yard manure per 1 sq.m bed is thoroughly mixed
and productivity of marigold particularly during rainy season. Hoeing
with the soil. The width of the seed bed should not be more than 1.2 m
and weeding should be done 3 to 4 times during the crop period to
and height should be 15 cm. Before sowing of seeds a little amount of
make the soil loose and weed free. Chemical weed control is also
BHC dust is applied to the nursery bed to avoid ant or termite
infestation. During winter beds should be covered with a layer of recommended.

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UNIT- V 17

Irrigation:
At all stages of vegetative growth (55-60 days) and during flower
production sufficient amount of moisture in soil is essential. Moisture
stress at any stage affects normal growth and flowering. In lighter
soils more frequent irrigations are required than in heavy soils. In
sandy loam soil, weekly irrigation is necessary between September to
March while during summer months between April to June irrigation
at 4-5 days intervals is required.
Pinching:
In tall cultivars of African marigold, plants first grow upwards to their
final height and later on produce a terminal flower. After the
formation of terminal flower bud, axillary branches develop which
also bear flower. However, if the apical portion of shoot is removed
early, large numbers of axillary shoots arise resulting in well-shaped
bushy plant bearing more number of uniform sized flowers. Removal
of apical portion of shoot is known as pinching. It is observed that
pinching at 40 days after transplanting enhances flower yield.
However, Giant Double African Yellow and Orange do not require
pinching as the plants are bushy and branching type.
Harvesting:
Marigold flowers are plucked when they have attained full size.
Plucking of flowers should be done in cool hours of the day. The field
should be irrigated before plucking so that flowers keep well for a
longer period after harvest. Plucked flowers are collected in polythene
bags or bamboo baskets for carrying to markets.
After harvesting the flowers they are dried on floor under shade for 2-
3 days. Upon drying, the seeds are separated by hammering the
flowers and the flower straw is separated out by winnowing of the
hammered flowers. The seeds are thoroughly cleaned and graded
before packing in poly bags or cloths bags, and are stored in cool
places. The moisture contents of the seeds must be examined before
the packing.

V.Suja M.Sc., (Agri.)