Wheat breeder and nucleus seed production techniques

1. Wheat Seed Production
Technology
Dr. Jang Bahadur Singh
Senior Scientist (Plant Breeding)
IARI – Regional Station, Indore (MP)
Mobile : 9752159512
E.Mail : jangbsingh@gmail.com
IndianAgriculturalResearchInstitute

2. Land Requirement
Free from volunteer plants
well drained field
soil neither too acidic not too alkaline
longer interval of crop rotation is desirable
Previous Cropping
• Well known history to avoid contamination from volunteer
plants, noxious weeds and seed borne diseases
• Never immediately follow wheat, unless the wheat crop in the
previous season was of same variety
• Two year rotation for flag smut and nematodes affected soils

3. Isolation Requirement
• Self pollinated – Clistogamous
• 1-4% cross pollination sometimes occur
• 3 meter all around planted with non-cereal crops or left uncroped
• Loose smut susceptible variety – 180 meter
• 150 meter from other field of loose smut in excess of 0.1% in
foundation seed and 0.5% in certified seed production

4. Cultural Practices
Selection of Variety
Time of Sowing
• Long duration varieties - Ist Fortnight of November
• Medium duration varieties – IInd fortnight of November
• Short Duration – December
• Optimum time
Mean daily temperature - 23+ 3oC
Good Tillering – 16 – 20oC
Preparation of Land
• Deep ploughing with soil turning plough then harrow – rotavator
• Best Levelling for proper irrigation
• Free from weeds

5. Source of Seed
• Obtain nucleus/breeder/foundation seed from a source
approved by the certification agency
Seed Rate
• As per grain weight of variety
Spacing
• Timely Sown : 20 – 23 cm
• Late Sown : 18 cm
Method of Sowing
• Sown in rows with seed drill
• Depth : 5 cm
• Seed drill thoroughly cleaned and checked before use
• Avoid the chances of mixture, if more than one variety is sown by
same seed drill

7. Nucleus Seed plots of HI 8498 (Malavshakti)

8. Breeder seed plots
IndianAgriculturalResearchInstitute
HI 8663 (Poshan)
HI 1544 (Purna)

9. Field Inspection
• The best time to access cultivar purity is after ear emergence
when seed has started to fill
• Latter inspection when glume and seed colour can be observed
Interculture
• Timely weeding and
interculture are essential
• By periodic hoeing and
weeding
• Chemical control

10. Roguing
Two or three roguings
• First Roguing
Just ahead of flowering stage
• Second roguing
Just after flowering is
completed
• Third roguing
After the ear heads turn colour
and start to mature
Plant Protection Measures
• Use resistant varieties
• Seed treatment

11. Harvesting and Threshing
• Soon after maturity, harvest the crop to avoid shattering and avoid
losses due to uncertain weather
• Grain moisture content <15%
• Mechanical harvesting
• Most critical factors to be considered
i) seed moisture content
ii) mechanical damage
iii) Cleanliness of equipments
• Threshing floor must be clean
Drying, storage, bagging and transport

12. Threshing of HD 2932 Kusmania