Get the best out of good seed - practise good seed storage!

Peter Craven, seed supply and quality lead at Syngenta, and Kobus van Huyssteen, technical manager at the South African National Seed Organisation, spoke to Magda du Toit about the importance of proper seed storage.

- Magda du Toit

The main purpose of storing seed on-farm is either to keep seed safe and protected after purchasing until planting, or to preserve unused seed from one season for use in the next.

During processing, seed passes through a series of procedures before it ends up on-farm, ready to plant. These include harvesting, drying, cleaning, grading or sizing, and transporting. Although the way in which seed passes through each of these steps can affect its viability and vigour, how it is stored on-farm can also have an impact on its storage life, viability and eventual yield.

CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 

Seed storage is the preservation of seed under controlled environmental conditions to maintain viability (the ability to germinate and produce a ‘normal’ seedling) for long periods from harvesting through to planting of the processed seed by the farmer. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that between 25% and 33% of the world’s seed is lost each year during storage, which has a significant effect on profitability and global food security.

Seed is a living organism, and this should be taken into consideration when storing it.

“When working with seed, keep in mind that inside each seed is a dormant miniature plant awaiting the opportunity to grow,” says Pieter Craven, seed supply and quality lead at Syngenta.