Seed Production Principles and Practices

Plant breeders continue to make significant advances in developing high yield- ing, adaptable, disease-free crops. These advances, however, are not realized until an efficient seed production system is in place that rapidly increases geneti- cally superior crops and makes them available to the consumer in large quantities at a reasonable cost. Successful seed production requires seed to be genetically pure, free of admixtures, and able to establish rapidly a uniform stand. Seed production is a complex process. Rigorous production criteria are followed by both seed producer and seed companies to ensure that high-quality seed is produced and marketed. These criteria become even more stringent in hybrid seed production. This volume identifies the factors most critical in a successful seed production operation. The fundamental considerations common to all seed crops are established in Part I, Principles of Seed Production. From this founda- tion, the practices of seed production are provided in detail in Part II, Seed Production of Specific Crops.