This document summarizes BRAC's pre and post-harvest research and extension activities for vegetable seeds in Bangladesh. It discusses 30 target vegetable crops categorized into fruiting, leafy, podded, stem/bulb, cruciferous, and root vegetables. For several crops including okra, tomato, brinjal, pumpkin, cucumber, spinach, and radish, it outlines the seed harvesting and post-harvest management processes. It also describes techniques to improve seed or propagule quality before harvesting and extension activities involving home and market gardens in Barishal and Jessore districts.

1. Present Status of Pre & Post
Harvest Research & Extension
Activities of Vegetable Seeds in
BRAC
Presented By
Dr. S. C.
Biswas

2. Target crops
We are dealing with 30 different vegetable crops
including fruiting vegetables, leafy & salad
vegetables, podded vegetables, stem & bulb
vegetables, cruciferous veg. crops, root vegetables etc.
Fruiting
vegetables
Leafy &
salad
vegetables
Podded
vegetables
Stem &
bulb
vegetables
Crucife-
rous veg.
crops
Root
vegetables
Okra, pump
kin,
cucumber,
bitter gourd,
bottle gourd,
ridge gourd,
ash gourd,
snake gourd
etc.
Spinach,
pechay, red
amaranth,
leaf
mustard,
kang kong,
prince
shak, red
bethua etc.
Yard long
bean, count
ry
bean, mun
g
bean, grou
nd nut etc.
Stem
amaranth,
onion etc.
Cauliflower
& cabbage
etc.
Radish, car
rot etc.

3. Current Situation of the Vegetable
Seed in Bangladesh
o The present requirement of good quality
vegetable seed is around 3,500 MT.
o Only 36% quality vegetable seeds are available
from public and private sectors.
o Seed is a perishable item and vast majority of
farmers use their own low quality seeds.
o The present incapability is related to inadequate
infrastructure, insufficient trained
manpower, inadequate suitable plant material, lack of
appropriate research and development opportunities etc.

4. Why Post Harvest Management is important in Vegetable Seeds ?

5. Post harvest management includes:
1. Good harvesting method at proper maturity.
2. Curing
3. Grading and sorting of fruits/pods for seed
extraction.
4. Extraction of seeds from good quality fruits /pods.
5. Cleaning & grading.
6. Drying to maintain optimum moisture.
7. Treatment.
8. Packing &
9. Storing.

6. Okra
1. Malformed and deformed fruits are removed earlier and only
healthy fruits are selected for seeds.
2. Healthy and straight type fruits are selected from plants free
from disease and insect attack.
3. Pods are harvested as soon as they become mature and before
shattering.
4. Pods are harvested by hand individually & thereafter fruits are
dried in the sun.
5. Threshing is also done by hand after the pods are sufficiently
dry.
6. Light seeds are then removed by cleaning and winnowing.
7. Collected seeds are sun dried to moisture level not exceeding
12% for open storage and up to 9% for sealed packets.
8. During rainy day there is every possibility of damaging seeds if
fruits are not harvested at proper stage.
9. In rainy day if there is no sun, seeds are dried keeping them
under electric fan.

7. Okra Fruits

8. Tomato
1. Larger size healthy properly ripened fruits are
harvested from 1st and 2nd tier fruits and kept in room
temperature for 2-3 days before extraction of seeds.
2. Tomato seeds are extracted mainly by fermentation
methods.
3. After cutting the tomato fruits seeds along with pulp are
fermented for 12 hours.
4. The pulp is stirred several times to maintain a uniform
rate of fermentation and to avoid discoloration of the seed.
5. Seeds are then cleaned with clean water and dried
thereafter.

9. Tomato Fruits

10. Brinjal
1. Ripened fruits are handpicked and usually seeds are collected
from fruits formed at early and mid fruiting stage.
2. Good quality fruits are harvested from plants free from disease
and insect attack.
3. Seeds are collected through wet extraction method.
4. Harvested fruits are stored for 5-7 days at room temperature
until they become soft.
5. Fruits are cut into thin slices and these are then softened by
soaking till the seeds are separated from the pulp.
6. After extracting and washing, the seeds are cleaned and dried.
7. Drying is done by spreading the seeds in the partial sunlight for
few hours for one or two days up to a moisture content of 8% or
below.

11. Ripened Fruits of Egg plant

12. Pumpkin
1. Full matured fruits are harvested when the
peduncle becomes straw coloured and vines starts
drying.
2. Before seed extraction fruits are stored in room
temperature for 3 to 4 weeks spreading them in
one single layer.
3. Fruits are cut into half and the seeds are scooped
out by hand.
4. Placenta with the seeds is usually separated by
rolling.
5. Seeds are then washed with water in troughs.
6. Seeds are dried quickly. At first seeds are spread on
trays and placed in the shade and gradually to sun
to dry and seeds are dried up to a moisture level of
7%.

13. Ripened Fruits of Pumpkin

14. Cucumber
1. Malformed and deformed fruits are removed earlier
and only healthy fruits are selected for seeds.
2. Yellow or brown coloured straight type fruits are
allowed to ripen fully.
3. Fruits are collected from vines when fruit stalk
adjacent to the fruit withers.
4. After full maturity fruits are harvested and kept 5-7
days for post harvest maturity.
5. For this purpose harvested fruits are kept spreading in
one single layer with a space between the fruits in a
shade dry place under ordinary condition.
6. Fruits are cut into half and scoop out the seeds by
hand.
7. Bold size, fully filled and better looking seeds are
extracted, cleaned and stored.

15. Fig. Ripened Fruits
of Cucumber
Fig. Seed
Production Plot
of Cucumber

16. Spinach
1. Spinach seeds mature in sequence even in the same
plant and first formed inflorescence seeds mature first.
2. When the seed stalks and seeds turn yellow (brownish
red in red spinach) and dry, harvesting is done by
cutting.
3. Usually 2-3 harvests are done for quality seed
production.
4. Harvested branches are dried in the sun over drying
floor.
5. Threshing is done by hand beating with a stick after
being seed stalks are properly dried.
6. Seeds are cleaned by winnowing and dried to 8-9%
moisture content.

17. Figs. Seed Bearing Plants of Red Spinach

18. Kang kong
1. Larger and heavier seeds are selected.
2. Seeds are sown on seed beds and healthy seedlings are raised.
3. Robust plants having high vigor are selected for cloning.
4. Pre foundation seeds (1st generation) are produced from the
selected clones growing them in the main field.
5. Again healthy plants are produced on seed bed from pre
foundation seeds and superior clones are developed from
cuttings of these plant through the same method.
6. Foundation seeds are produced from these superior clones.
7. Seeds are harvested when the capsules turn brown.
8. Hand picking is generally done.
9. Capsules are dried and seeds are extracted by beating lightly
with sticks.
10. Seeds are then cleaned and dried properly for storage.

19. Clones Reddish Kang kong

20. Fig.
Fenu
greek
(Methi).
Characteristics
•It can be used both as vegetable (leaves are used as
vegetable) and spice crop.
•Moderately short duration crop and it is also a
profitable crop as well.
• It is tolerant to major diseases and pests.
•It has got medicinal value and found to be very
much effective in controlling dandruff problem and
loss of hair.
•Yield per acre 500 Kg.

21. Radish
1. Seed plants are allowed to mature fully
before harvesting.
2. Plants are cut when most of the pod
turns brown.
3. The crop is cut by sickle and brought to
threshing floor for thoroughly drying.
4. Threshing is done by beating with sticks.
5. Seed after sifting is dried to 6-8%
moisture content before storage.

22. Seed Production Plot of Radish

23. Few Techniques for Imrpoving Seed or Propagule Quality
(Pre Harvesting Operations)
1. Disbudding technique in okra.
2. Growing pumpkin on trellis.
3. Stopping through snapping of the apical portion of
cucurbits.
4. Thinning in cauliflower, radish, broccoli etc.
5. Cloning in kangkong, jute mallow, Brahmi shak (Bacopa
monieri), Gandhabhadali (Pterida foetida).
6. Selection of large size seeds for increasing bulb size in
onion.
7. Application of micronutrients in the production of fruits in
country bean and other crops.
8. Staking.
9. Pruning.
10. Transplanting

24. Fig. Disbudding technique in red okra.

25. Fig. Compare
between
trellis –
grown sweet
gourd and
pumpkin
grown on
beds.

26. Thinning in cauliflower

27. Thinning in broccoli

28. Cloning in F1 hybrid Kang kong

29. Cloning of Prince Shak (Jute mallow)

30. Cloning in Pumpkin

31. Contd.

32. Contd.

33. Cloning in Brahmi shak & Gandhabhadali

34. Fig. Pruning in BRAC developed summer country
bean (2nd phase of harvesting in the month of
January)

35. Figs. Transplanted
Bothua
(both red and green)

36. Water caltrop (Panifal) , Trapa natans

37. •It is an aquatic plant and
its raw fruits are delicious.
•Very easy to grow and
requires small amount of
investment and labour.
•Since it is a profitable crop
can be cultivated
commercially in the ‘haor’
areas.
•Children’s like it very
much and sometimes flour
is produced from its fruits.
•It is harvested when the
farmers have no work.
•Fish and fruits can be
cultivated in the same water
body.
Characteristics

38. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES (BRAC-AVRDC/USAID)
Home gardens – Barishal & Jessore.
• Upazilla covered- 2 (Uzirpur at
Barishal & Chougacha at Jessore).
• Total No of Gardens: 301 (251 in
Uzirpur & 50 in Chougacha).
Market gardens - Barishal
• Location : Uzirpur only.
• Area: 14.28 ha.
• No. of farmers: 100

39. Design, pilot and promote locally adapted
home and market gardens including year-
long and adapted cropping sequences.