This document discusses seed storage, including the importance of proper storage to maintain seed quality and viability. It provides data on post-harvest losses for various agricultural commodities in India, ranging from 4.65-15.88%. Seed storage begins at harvest and involves various stages until planting. The key principles of storage are to keep seeds in a cool, dry environment to reduce metabolic activity and slow aging. Proper storage techniques help preserve seed germination rates and quality until planting.

1. w
E
L
C
O
M
E

2. SEED STORAGE
Dr. Akshay Kumar Vats
Assistant Professor
Department of Agriculture
Section: Genetics and Plant Breeding
MMDU, Mullana

3. Report on the assessment of quantitative harvest and post-harvest
losses: ICAR-CIPET, March 2015
Serial
Number
Commodity
Loss in farm
operations
Loss in
storage
channel
Total loss Total loss
1 Wheat 4.07 0.86 4.93 5.93
2 Paddy 4.67 0.86 5.53 5.19
3 Potato 6.54 0.78 7.32 8.99
4 Soybean 8.95 1.00 9.96 6.26
4 Tomato 9.41 3.03 12.44 12.47
5 Mango 6.92 2.24 9.16 12.74

4. Serial
Number
Commodity
Loss in
farm
operations
Loss in
storage
channel
Total loss Total loss
Serial
Number
6 Apple 9.08 1.31 10.39 12.26 6
7 Eggs 4.88 2.31 7.19 6.55 7
8 Inland fish 4.18 1.05 5.23 6.92 8
9
Poultry
meat
2.74 4 6.74 3.65 9
10 Milk 0.71 0.21 0.92 0.77 10
Report on the assessment of quantitative harvest and post-harvest
losses: ICAR-CIPET, March 2015

5. In the case of cereals, losses ranged between 4.65% (maize) and
5.99% (sorghum). In the case of wheat and paddy, the losses
were 4.93% and 5.53% respectively. Moreover, the losses were
higher at the level of farm operations. They were 4.67% in the
case of paddy and 4.07% in the case of wheat. The loss in
storage was only 0.86% for both wheat and paddy.
As expected, the perishable crops suffered much higher losses.
In the case of mango, the total loss was 9.16%. Here also, the
loss at farm operations was much higher at 6.92% than the loss
in storage at 2.24%. The loss in guava was 15.88% while the
same in the case of apple was 10.39%.

6. What is seed storage ??
• Preservation of seed with initial
quality until it is needed for planting.

7. about seed storage…….
 The ability of seed to tolerate moisture loss allows the seed to
maintain theviability in dry state.
 Storage starts in the mother plant itself when it attains
physiological maturity.
 Introduction of high yielding varieties and hybrids and
modernization of agriculture necessitated the development of
storage techniques to preserve the seeds.

8. SEED STORAGE
Orthodox Seeds that can be dried, without damage,
to low moisture contents.
Usually much lower than those they would normally
achieve in nature.
in both
Their longevity increases with reductions
moisturecontent and temperatureovera
wide range of storage environments.

9. Objective of seed storage
 To maintain initial seed quality viz., germination,
physical purity, vigour etc., all along the storage period
by providing suitable or even better conditions.
 Since the main objective of seed storage is maintenance
of an acceptable capacity for germination and
emergence, it can only be accomplished by reducing
the rate of deterioration to the degree required to
maintain an acceptable level of quality for the desired
period.

10. stored in awarehouse
until processed
Harvest
In transit
In retail stores
Stages of Seed
Storage

11. Stages of Seed Storage
The seeds are considered to be in storage from the moment they reach
physiological maturity until they germinate or until they are thrown away
because they are dead or otherwise worthless.
The entire storage period can be conveniently divided into following stages.
Storage on plants ( physiological maturity until harvest):
Harvest, until processed and stored in a warehouse.
In - storage ( warehouses).
In transit ( Railway wagons, trucks, carts, railway sheds etc.).
In retail stores.
On the user's farm.

12.  The practice of storing the seeds starts from the ancient days
itself, following simpleand cheap techniques.
Example
1) Placing theseeds in salt,
2) Red earth treatment to red gram
( about 1 kg of red gram is mixed with 1 kg of red earth (i.e. 1:1
ratio) and then the seeds are subjected to sun drying. After one or
two days of drying, the grains are stored as such for seed purpose)
etc.

14. Purpose of seed storage
 Seed storage is the maintenance of high seed
germination and vigour form harvest until
planting is important to get adequate plant
stands in addition to healthy and vigourous
plants.
 The purpose of seed storage is to maintain the
seed in good physical and physiological
condition from the time they are harvested until
the time they are planted.

15.  The unsold seed are “carried over” in storage for marketing
during the second planting season after harvest.
 Seed suppliers are not always able to market all the seed they
produceduring the following planting season.
 Foundation seed units and others have found this to be an
economical, efficient procedure for seed of varieties for which
there is limited demand.
 Some kinds of seed are stored for extended periods to
of germination by
improve the percentage
providing enough time
and rapidity
for a “natural” release from
dormancy
.

16.  In the broadest sense the storage period for seed begins with
attainment of physiological maturity and ends with
i.e.,
resumption of active growth of the embryonic axis,
germination.
to be physiologically and
when they reach maximum dry
 Seeds are considered
morphologically mature
weight.

17.  The second segment of the storage period extends from
harvest to the beginning of conditioning.
 The third segment of the storage period begins with the onset
of conditioning and ends with packaging.
 The fourth segment of the storage period is the packaged
seed phase which has already been mentioned. The packaged
seed segment is followed by storage during distribution and
marketing, and finally by storage on the farm before and
during planting.

18. Principles of seed storage
In the natural environment and when stored at ambient room
conditions, seeds respond to constantly changing relative
humidityand temperatures.
Maintaining seeds under controlled conditions lowers metabolic
activity, thereby reducing the aging process and increasing
longevityof the seed lot.
For most seeds, a cool and dry environment is preferred and for
orthodox seeds the cooler and drier the greater the longevity that
can be achieved. Harrington’s rule8 states that:
1. Each 1 percent reduction in moisture content doubles the life of
theseed.
2.Each 10 degree F reduction in temperature doubles the life of the
seed.

22. Limitation:
Thesamepracticesarenotholdgoodforthepresentday
agriculture, because
•largequantitytobestored
•exchangeof varieties andspecies
•exchangeof genes

23. Some Facts
How long do seeds last? The oldest seed that's been grown
into a plant is a 2,000 year old date palm
List of agricultural products and their cumulative loss (%)
Cereals: 4.65 to 5.99
Pulses: 6.36 to 8.41
Oil seeds: 3.08 to 9.96
Fruits & Vegetables: 4.58 to 15.88
Milk: 0.92
Meat: 2.71
Poultry meat: 6.74

24. Vegetable Seed Viability Chart
Crop
How Many Years do They
Last?
Typical Days to
Germination
Asparagus 3 10
Bean, Lima 3 8
Bean, Snap 3 7
Beets 4 4
Broccoli 5 4
Brussels Sprouts 5 4
Cabbage 5 4
Carrot 3 6
Cauliflower 5 5
Celeriac 5 11

25. THAN Q
seed