The germination rate and vigour of seeds affect how well a crop emerges and establishes. They are a crucial aspect of seed quality, as poor seed vigour will result in seedlings that are more sensitive to abiotic stress (for example soil compaction or drought) and biotic stress (pathogens, especially soil -borne ones) and might even affect the final performance of the crop!
During seed storage, seeds age and their quality declines by oxidation. This is influenced by seed moisture level, presence of oxygen, and temperature, in decreasing order of importance. This guide -booklet explains and highlights the main issues to look out for when drying and storing seed. It proposes cost - and time-saving solutions for on-farm drying and storage, namely:
How to dry the seeds efficiently
How to ensure they stay dry during storage
How to protect them from oxygen
The fact that seeds must be properly dried after harvesting and stored in a dry, cool and dark environment is known to many seed producers. Yet, experience shows that these obvious precautions are not always taken, due to lack of time and resources or because of organisational difficulties. By providing practical examples, cases and guidance to reflect on your own context and objectives, we hope this booklet will help to lift some of the practical challenges associated
with the drying and storing of vegetable seeds in small-scale seed enterprises and on-farm.