Courses

Courses Offered

Restructured and revised syllabi of post-graduate Programmes

Under-Graduate Courses

GP 243/SST241 

Principles of Seed Technology               3 (2+1)                                    

Theory

Seed and Seed Technology: Introduction, definition and importance. Deterioration of crop varieties and control; Maintenance of genetic purity during seed production; Seed quality- definition, characters of good quality seed, different classes of seed. Foundation and certified seed production of important cereal, pulses, oilseeds, fodder and vegetables.  Seed certification, phases of seed certification, procedure of seed certification, field inspection.  Seed act and enforcement, Duty and powers of seed inspector, offenses and penalties, Seed Control Order 1983.  Varietal identification through Grow out test and electrophoresis, Molecular and biochemical test, Detection of genetically modified crops, Transgene contamination in non-GM crops, GM crops and organic seed production.  Seed drying, processing and their steps, seed testing for quality assessment, seed treatment and packaging, seed storage and factors affecting seed longevity, pest control during storage. Seed marketing: structure and organization, sales generation activities, promotional media. Factor affecting seed marketing, Role of WTO and OECD in seed marketing.

Practical

Seed production major cereals: Wheat, Rice, Maize, Sorghum, Bajra. Seed production major pulses: Urd, Mung, Pigeonpea, Lentil Gram and Field pea. Seed production major oilseeds: Soybean, rapeseed and mustard. Seed sampling and testing, Physical purity, germination and viability. Seed and Seedling vigour test. Genetic purity test: Grow out and electrophoresis.  Seed certification procedures, Field inspection, Preparation of Field inspection reports, Visits to seed production farms, seed testing laboratories and seed processing plant.

Post -Graduate courses

SST 501          Seed Development Biology                                                                    1+1     

Theory      

Floral biology – types of pollination, mechanisms; sporogenesis – micro and mega sporogenesis; gametogenesis – development of male and female gametes and their structures; pollination and fertilization – mode of pollination, double fertilization, factors affecting pollination, fertilization; self-incompatibility and male sterility.  Embryogenesis  –  development of monocot and dicot embryos  –  embryo plane formation – development of endosperm, cotyledons and seed coat – hard seed; apomixis – identification, classification, significance and its utilization; polyembryony –  types and significance; haplontic and diplontic sterility system, causes of embryo abortion, embryo rescue technique; somatic embryogenesis. Seed development – source of assimilates – mechanism of translocation; chemical composition – synthesis and deposition of storage reserves – starch, protein, fat and secondary metabolites – hormonal regulation. Maturation drying  – orthodox and recalcitrant seeds – desiccation tolerance – mechanism – structural changes during desiccation – role of  LEA protein. Seed maturity indices – physiological and harvestable maturity; biotic and abiotic factors influencing seed development – development of hard seeds.

Practical

Study on floral biology of monocot; study on floral biology of dicot plants; study on pollen morphology of different crops; pollen germination and viability test in major crops; seed embryo and endosperm development in monocots; seed embryo and cotyledon development in dicots; anatomy and morphology of seed coat during development; hard seed coat development; study on external and internal structures; seed development and maturation in agriculture crops – physical and physiological changes; seed development and maturation in horticultural crops – physical and physiological changes; study of biochemical changes during seed development and maturation in agricultural crops; study of biochemical changes during seed development and maturation in horticultural crops; study on physiological and harvestable maturity and maturity indices in different crops; study on acquisition of seed dormancy and germination at different stages of maturity; preparation of seed album and identification of seeds.

SST 502          Seed Dormancy and Germination                                                        1+1

Theory

Seed dormancy – definition, concept and theories – significance – evolution; classification and mechanism of dormancy – ecological significance. Induction of dormancy during development – hormonal, physiological, molecular and genetic control of dormancy – maternal and paternal contribution; environmental factors influencing dormancy induction and release – seasonal influence – winter and summer annuals – secondary dormancy induction mechanism; artificial induction of dormancy and release; soil seed bank – natural release of dormancy and its mechnanism; dormancy breaking – principles and methods. Seed germination – types and phases of germination; imbibition – pattern and water kinetics – events of germination – physical, physiological, biochemical changes-aerobic and anaerobic respiration quiescent. Enzyme activation – mechanism – factors affecting enzyme activation – breakdown of stored materials – starch, protein and fat – energy generation – mobilization of storage reserves – changes in phenolic compounds. Molecular and genetic control of seed germination – auto tropism; factors affecting germination – media – temperature – light – gases; in-situ and viviparous germination – causes and mechanism – pattern of seed germination – tri-phasic curve.

Practical

Seed dormancy – identification of dormancy; estimation of ABA and GA in dormant and non-dormant seeds; study on artificial induction of dormancy; dormancy breaking methods – scarification and stratification; dormancy breaking methods – hormonal and chemical treatments; dormancy breaking methods – after ripening and leaching of inhibitors; dormancy breaking methods – combined treatments; assessing the period of natural release of seed dormancy; seed germination – studying the pattern of imbibitions; studying the pattern of seed germination in different media; study on influence of light and temperature on germination and seedling development; estimation of hydrolytic enzyme – α amylase in different species; estimation of hydrolytic enzyme – protease; estimation of hydrolytic enzyme – lipase; estimation of dehydrogenase enzyme and respiratory quotient in seeds; estimation of food reserve composition during seed germination.

SST 503          Seed Production Principles and Techniques in Field Crops              2+1    

Theory

Importance of seed – seed quality concept – factors influencing seed production; generation system of seed multiplication – classes of seed, stages of seed multiplication in varieties and hybrids – seed multiplication ratio (SMR) – seed replacement rate (SRR) – seed renewal period (SRP) – varietal replacement rate (VRR). Genetic and agronomic principles of variety and hybrid seed production; methods and techniques of seed production in varieties and hybrids of important  cereals and millets – wheat, oat, rice, maize, sorghum and perl millet; varietal seed production in small millets – finger millet, fox tail millet, little millet, kodo millet, proso millet and barnyard millet. Methods and techniques of varietal seed production in major pulses – black gram, green gram, cowpea, chickpea, horse gram, soybean and lentil – varietal and hybrid seed production in red gram. Methods and techniques of seed production in major oil seed crops – groundnut, sesame – varietal and hybrid seed production in sunflower, castor and mustard; varietal seed production in minor oilseed crops (safflower, linseed, niger) – varietal and hybrid seed production in cotton – varietal seed production in jute. Seed production planning for varieties and hybrids of major crops; participatory seed production – seed hubs, seed village concept and community seed bank.

Practical

Seed selection – quality of seed on field establishment; sowing and nursery management techniques; planting – age of seedling on crop establishment – rice and pearl millet; isolation distance and border rows in hybrid seed production field – space and barrier isolation; modifying isolation based on border rows in maize; planting design for hybrid seed production – rice, maize, pearl millet, cotton, red gram, sunflower; practicing breeding tools for hybrid seed production – detasseling – emasculation and dusting; study on methods of achieving synchronization – rice, bajra, sunflower; practicing supplementary pollination – rice and sunflower; study on foliar nutrition and influence on seed yield; practicing rouging operation – identification of off-types, pollen shedders, shedding tassels, partials, selfed bolls; pre and post harvest sanitation operations – cereals, millets and pulses; estimation of shattering and shattering loss; study on insitu germination and loss; visit to seed production fields; visit to seed industry; seed production planning and economics of seed production – varieties; seed production planning and economics of seed production – hybrids. 

SST 504          Seed Production Principles and Techniques in Vegetable Crops     2+1   

Theory

 Importance and present status of vegetable seed industry – factors influencing vegetable seed production; varietal and hybrid seed production techniques in major solanceous vegetable crops – tomato, brinjal, chilli; malvaceous vegetable crops – seed production techniques of bhendi. Varietal and hybrid seed production techniques in important cucurbitaceous vegetable – gourds and melons, cole crops – cauliflower, cabbage, knol-khol, root vegetable – carrot, beetroot, turnip, radish and other temperate hilly vegetable crops. Varietal seed production techniques in major leguminous vegetable – peas and beans; seed production techniques in leafy vegetable – amaranthus, palak, spinach and lettuce. Seed production techniques in tuber crops – potato, sweet potato, colocasia, tapioca and yam, seed-plot technique in potato – true potato seed (TPS) production techniques – seed production techniques in bulb crops – onion, garlic. Vegetative and clonal multiplication – methods, merits and demerits; clonal multiplication – potato, sweet potato, colocasia, tapioca and yam.

Practical

Identification of vegetable seeds; study on sowing and nursery management; study on transplanting and age of seedling on crop establishment; studying floral biology of solanceous, malvaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetable crops; studying floral biology of other vegetable crops; practicing planting design for hybrid seed production; modification of sex ratio in cucurbits; practicing emasculation and pollination methods; practicing rouging operations – identification of off-types – selfed fruits; harvesting methods – single and multiple harvesting method; practicing seed extraction methods – wet methods – tomato, brinjal, other cucurbitaceous fruits; seed extraction – dry methods – chillies, bhendi, cucurbitaceous; visit to seed production fields; visit to private seed industry; planning and economics of varietal seed production; planning and economics of hybrid seed production.

SST 506          Seed Production Techniques in Forage, Pasture and Green Manure 

Crops                                                                                                       1+1

Theory

Scope and importance of seed production in forage, pasture and green manure crops –  factors influencing seed production – seasonal influence; problems and constraints in seed production – seed set, shattering and seed dormancy; vegetative and clonal propagules and apomictic seed. Quality seed production techniques in major fodder crops – lucerne, hedge lucerne, leucaena, fodder sorghum, fodder maize and oats. Seed and planting material production techniques of major forage grasses – bajra-napier grass, guinea grass, deenanath grass and Cenchrus sp.; forage legumes Stylosanthus, cowpea and berseem. Seed production techniques in major green manure crops – Glyricidia, Sesbania sp., sunnhemp, daincha, jute an Tephrosia sp. Post – harvest seed handling – processing, threshing, grading and upgrading; dormancy breaking and germination improvement – quality standards for seed and vegetative propagules.

Practical

Seed collection and identification of seeds; estimation of seed setting and shattering loss; maturity indices – determination of physiological and harvestable maturity; seed extraction and threshing methods; separation of ill filled seeds – practicing different methods; study of seed and clonal materials – standards; quality of planting material and vegetative propagules on crop establishment; seed quality analysis in forage and fodder crops – tiller wise quality analysis; seed quality analysis in determinate and indeterminate crops; study on effect of ratooning on seed quality; practicing  seed quality enhancement techniques; practicing different seed extraction and dormancy breaking treatments; preparation of vegetative propagules and planting; planning for seed production in fodder and green manure crops;  economics of seed production in  fodder, forage crops and green manure crops;  visit to forage and fodder seed production farms.

SST 507          Seed Legislation and Certification                                                        2+1

Theory

 Genesis of seed Industry in India; seed quality control – concept and objectives; regulatory mechanisms – Seed Act (1996) – Seed Rules (1968) – statutory bodies – Central Seed Committee – Central Seed Certification Board. Seed Control Order (1983) – New Policy on Seed Development (1988) – Exim Policy – National Seed Policy (2002) – Plant Quarantine Act. Introduction to WTO and IPR – UPOV and its role – OECD seed certification schemes – PPV & FR Act (2001) and Rules (2003) – Seed Bill (2004 and 2011): Seed certification system in SAARC countries, Europe, Canada, Australia and USA. Seed certification – history and objectives; general and specific crop standards, field and seed standards; seed certification agency – role of certification agency/department and seed certification officer, phases of seed certification; field inspection – counting procedures – liable for rejection  (LFR) – downgrading and partial rejection – reporting. Post – harvest inspection – construction  of seed lot number; seed sampling – testing – labeling, sealing and grant of certificate – types and specifications for tags and labels; seed lot validity and revalidation; appellate authority. Stop sale order, penalties records and registers to be maintained by seed processing units and seed dealers – verification procedures, role of seed analyst and seed inspector in quality regulation.

Practical        

Preparation of sowing report – varieties – transplanted and direct sown crops and hybrids; verification of sowing report – seed certification procedures; field inspection – estimation of area and isolation distance, stages of inspection for varieties and hybrids – procedures; practicing field counting procedures – methods for row planting, broadcasted – varieties; practicing field counting procedures – direct sown and transplanted crops – varieties; study on field counting procedures – hybrids – planting design, planting ratio and block method and double count; identification of contaminants – genetic and physical contaminants, procedure to remove partials, pollen shedders and shedding tassels; assessing and calculation of field standards for important crops; LFR, partial rejection and downgrading – reasons, procedures and preparation of reports; yield estimation – single and multiple harvest crops; post harvest inspection – groundnut, cotton, pulses; inspection and maintenance  (licence and renewal) of records in processing unit - float test, preparation of processing report and seed lot number construction; visit to seed certification agency/department; visit to grow-out test field; visit to seed retail shop – procedures followed by seed Inspector, verification of records and reporting; procedure to issue tag, specification, bagging , tagging, labelling and sealing.

SST 508          Post Harvest Handling and Storage of Seeds                                     2+1   

Theory

Seed processing – objectives and principles; processing sequence – threshing, shelling, ginning, extraction methods; drying – principles and methods; seed cleaning, grading, upgrading – methods – machineries and equipment – scalper, pre-cleaner, cleaner cum grader, specific gravity separator, indented cylinder, disc separator, spiral separator, velvet separator, magnetic separator, electronic colour sorter – working principles and functions. Online seed processing – elevators and conveyers – processing plant – specifications, design and layout; mechanical injury – causes and detection – management. Seed treatment – methods – pre and mid storage seed treatments, seed treating  formulations and equipments; packaging materials – types – bagging and labelling; seed blending – principle and methods. Seed storage – purpose and importance – factors affecting storage, optimum condition for storage of different seeds; storage principles – Harrington’s thumb rule – concepts and significance of moisture equilibrium – maintenance  of safe seed moisture – physical, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes during seed storage – storage behaviour of orthodox  and recalcitrant seeds – prediction of viability – viability nomograph. Methods of seed storage modified atmospheric storage – ultra dry storage – vacuum storage cryopreservation – germplasm storage – gene banks – NBPGR, IPGRI and National seed storage laboratory; seed storage godown – structure – maintenance – sanitation.

Practical        

Seed extraction – wet and dry methods; seed processing sequence for different crops; design of processing plant – equipments – estimation of processing efficiency; seed drying methods – principle and methods; practicing seed grading – upgrading techniques; delinting methods – assessment of mechanical damage; visit to seed processing unit; seed packaging – effect of packaging materials on seed longevity; prediction of viability during storage – viability nomograph and accelerated ageing test; assessing physical changes during seed storage; assessing physiological changes during seed storage; assessing biochemical changes during seed storage; storage behaviour of recalcitrant seeds; pre-storage seed treatments – protectants – antioxidants – halogens; practicing seed blending methods; seed storage godown – sanitation, fumigation – visit to seed storage godown and cold storage unit.

SST 509          Seed Quality Testing and Enhancement                                              1+1

Theory

Seed testing – history and development; seed testing in India; ISTA and its role in seed testing; seed lot and size, types of seed and size, samples – sampling – intensity and methods, sampling devices, receipt and registration of submitted samples in the laboratory and sub sampling; purity analysis – components and procedure – determination of other distinguishable varieties (ODV) and test weight determination – application of heterogeneity test – method of testing coated and pelleted seeds; seed moisture estimation – principles and methods, application of tolerances. Seed germination test – requirements, media and methods – seedling evaluation, tolerance and reporting result; viability test (TZ test) – principle, procedure and evaluation; vigour tests – concept of seed vigour and vigour test – types of vigour tests – direct and indirect tests – physical, physiological and biochemical tests – principles and methods; seed health test – principles and methods. Genetic purity assessment – laboratory methods – physical, chemical, biochemical and molecular tests – growth chamber and field testing (Grow Out Test) methods; testing of GM seeds; storage of guard sample – referral test; application of tolerance in seed testing; advanced non destructive techniques of seed quality analysis – soft x-ray imaging – hyper spectral imaging, thermal imaging – spectroscopy – e-nose and machine vision techniques. Seed quality enhancement techniques – history and development; classification – physical, physiological and protective seed treatments – special seed treatments; physical seed treatment – liquid floatation, specific gravity separation, irradiation, electric and electro-magnetic seed treatments – principles and methods – seed pelleting and coating principles, purpose and methods. Physiological seed enhancement treatments – seed infusion, seed priming – principles and methods – physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms; pre-germination and fluid drilling techniques; biological seed treatments – microbial inoculation; organic seed treatment – integrated seed treatment – concept and methods of designer seed.

Practical

Seed testing – sampling and dividing methods; determination of seed test weight and heterogeneity test; physical purity analysis – components, procedure, reporting results; seed moisture estimation – methods and equipments; conduct of seed germination test and seedling evaluation; conduct of quick viability (tetrazolium) test and evaluation; conduct of vigour tests – direct, indirect test and special tests; genetic purity assessment – laboratory and conventional methods – image analysis for seed quality; conducting different seed health tests to identify bacteria, fungi and insects; visit to seed testing laboratory; seed enhancement techniques – practicing physical treatments and water floatation techniques; seed coating and pelleting – uses of adhesives and filler materials; performing seed priming – hydro, halo and bio-priming – solid matrix priming; practicing seed infusion and microbial inoculation treatments; practicing pre-germination technique; studying integrated seed treatment/designer seed treatment.