Quality Control
Dr.V.S.S. Rao, Ph.D.,
Director - Coordinations

Dr.Aswatha Narayana M.Sc., (Ag), Ph.D.,
Asst. General Manager -QC
 

The success of Seed Company depends on its product quality. Quality is the first and unchanging principle for all the departments of our organization. Some of the highlights of our achievements in quality control activities are:

The Hybrid seeds received from the production sector is subjected to seed processing. Seed processing involves all the steps which makes the harvested seed ready for marketing namely drying, cleaning and size grading, testing, treating, coating etc.

SEED DRYING: Seeds are dried to a safe moisture limit by sun drying and forced air drying in order to maintain the viability and vigour for a very long time.

SEED CLEANING AND SIZE GRADING: The Organization has got separate processing unit in an area of 3,600sq.ft. equipped with different types of machines. The graders are used to separate the seeds according to the size, which includes laboratory model grader. The gravity separators are used to separate the seeds based on the density. Some times the seeds are separated with the help of cylindrical separator to maintain the uniform shape and size for few flower crops. The seed blower is used to separate heavy and light fractions for small sized and other exotic flower seeds. The seed brushing machine is used to remove the hairiness of the seeds. By this way the undesirable fractions namely inert matter, weed seeds, other crop seeds, light and chaffy seeds are removed from the desirable seed lots.

SEED TESTING: This forms the hub of quality control activities. Seed is tested for moisture content, physical purity, germination, genetic purity and seed health.

1. Moisture test: As moisture influences the retention of viability and appearance of seed, it is very important to test the moisture content of the seed before packing. The moisture content is found out with the help of non-destructive instant moisture meter and expressed in terms of percentage.
2. Physical purity test:

Physical purity is the amount of desired seeds present in a particular lot conducted based on the weight and expressed in terms of percentage. Purity is analysed to the sequential samples drawn from a lot and conducted with the help of purity work board and various components like pure seeds, other crop seeds, inert matter and others are separated.

3. Germination test:

It is an ability of the seed to develop into a normal seedling under favourable conditions. To maintain standards, organisation has established its own seed testing laboratory in an area of 3,200 sq. ft. and equipped with two chambered walk in type germinator with a capacity to accommodate 10,000 samples each, in addition to this it has one seed germinator of capacity of accommodating the 4,000 seed samples. On an average of 25 to30 thousand samples of both vegetable and flower seeds are tested per year. The germination methods are standardized as per our requirements. The germination is expressed in terms of percentage and is conducted based on International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules

4. Genetic purity test: Genetic purity is trueness to the type. The organization has adapted a biochemical technique called iso electric focussing for testing genetic purity. The complete methodology and materials including precasted gels are imported from U.S.A. Highly precise results are obtained regularly within a span of three hours and are cross compared with regular grow out test results. The genetic purity is directly related to the uniformity of the crop

5. Seed health test:Healthy seed is one, which does not contain any seed borne disease causing organism. Seed is tested for the presence or absence of seed borne pathogens by direct examination with the help stereo binocular microscope and indirectly by ELISA(Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbant Assay) and PCR(Polymarase Chain Reaction). To know the disease incidents within a short period of time these tests are regularly conducted before seeds are packed and shipped

6. Seed Storage :

Organization has both controlled and an ordinary warehouse as per the technical specification with a capacity of 10 tones each. In case of conditioned storage, temperature and relative humidity is maintained as per the crop the requirements and seeds are packed under dehumidifying condition in an air tight container.

SEED TREATING AND COATING:

The seeds are coated with colours in the seed coating machine. The advantages of seed coating are:

  1. The fungicides and insecticides are mixed with colour and coated directly on the seeds to avoid post emergence diseases.
  2. The coated seed are free flowing in nature and suitable for mechanical sowing.
  3. It gives an identity of the company, crop and the variety
  4. It is dust free and environmental friendly.

Namdhari Seeds has been conducting all the above tests regularly and effectively. It has been made possible by the installation of highly precised indigenous and imported equipment's, operated and managed by well-qualified an d trained personnel.