Module 1: Seed Physiology, Germination and Seed Health Testing

Occurrence and management of diseases during seed production, harvest, conditioning, storage, and planting. Emphasis on epidemiology, disease management in the field, seed treatment, effects of conditioning on seed health, and seed health testing. The components of seed quality and how they are assessed in the laboratory, including traits derived from modern biotechnology. The impact of new technologies on seed quality testing. Variety maintenance procedures and breeder seed. Variety identification: phenotype and grow-out trials, isozyme testing, and DNA marker testing. Procedures for evaluating varieties. The variance tests appropriate for fixed effects analysis of variance. Statistical inference and stratification for yield trials. Brief introduction to plant physiology. Physiological aspects of seed development, maturation, longevity, dormancy and germination. Links between physiology and seed quality. Occurrence and management of diseases during seed production, harvest, conditioning, storage, and planting. Emphasis on epidemiology, disease management in the field, seed treatment, effects of conditioning on seed health, and seed health testing.