Author(s):

Komala NT, Basava arya BR, Sumalatha GM, Gurumurthy R and Surendra P

Abstract: Seed is the basic input for agriculture. Seed is treated to enhance seed longevity, establish optimum and uniform plant population of healthy plants with reduced seed rate. Seed enhancement technologies are gaining increasing attention for their potential to confer greater disease resistance in seeds, improve seed vigor and modify seed emergence capabilities. For any crop, the time from sowing to seedling establishment is crucial, in which the seeds are exposed to wide range of environmental stresses. Seed quality is vital to sustainable crop production and food security. Seed enhancements include physical, physiological and biological treatments to overcome germination constraints by uniform stands, earlier crop development and better yields. Improved germination rates and seedling vigour are due to reduced emergence time by earlier start of metabolic activities of hydrolytic enzymes and resource mobilization. Nutrient management, ion uptake, hormonal regulation, activation of antioxidant defence system, reduced lipid peroxidation and accumulation of compatible solutes are some mechanisms conferring biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in plants. In this scenario, there is need to minimize the factors associated with reduced vigour during seed production, improve seed storage and handling, develop hightech seeds by seed industry at appropriate rates and integrate agronomic, physiological and molecular seed research for the effective regulation of high quality seed delivery over next generations.

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