Seed Health Testing: Principles and Protocols

The seed industry has a twofold responsibility in the area of seed health: to deliver sufficiently healthy seed to farmers and seed producers, and to respect international phytosanitary regulations. Seeds are the foundation to crop production and seed health is related to food production in various ways. Of particular concern to the seed industry is seed used for sowing. Seed health standard is the maximum acceptable limit of the presence of a given parthogen in a given seed lot. This is also refered to as "Pathogen tolerance level" or "Seed standard" for the pathogen. Seed health testing should be done when pathogens are suspected for crop or seed damage. It should also be conducted when local, regional, national or international rules apply to seed and crop shipping. The book details procedures of routine seed testing methods and recent approaches in seed health testing.