A Hands-On Journey in Seed Quality Testing 🌱 🫘
During my 5 months internship in National Agriculture Modernization Program at Banke district, Mid-Western Nepal, I had the opportunity to work at a Lumbini province-level seed testing laboratory; a place where seed lots from numerous seed-producing companies are rigorously examined before they ever reach a farmer's field.
Here's a glimpse into the process I got to be a part of:
🔹 Sampling: Seed lots arrive from different companies, each representing a batch that needs quality verification.
🔹 Registration: Each incoming seed lot is registered and logged into the lab system, ensuring traceability from sample receipt to final test report.
🔹 Sub-sampling: The bulk seed lot is thoroughly agitated/mixed, and a working sample of approximately 70 grams or around (not less than) is drawn out to begin the purity test.
🔹 Moisture Test: Seed moisture content is measured to assess storage viability and overall seed health through moisture metre.
🔹 Purity Test: The sub-sample is separated into pure seed, other crop seed, weed seed, and inert matter, then individually weighed to determine the purity percentage of the lot.
🔹 Priming with GA3: Seeds are treated with Gibberellic Acid (GA3) to enhance germination potential where a small hormonal nudge that can significantly influence vigor and uniformity.
🔹 Setting the Germination Test: Next day, 100 seeds per replicate are carefully placed on moist germination paper, then incubated under controlled conditions (germinator).
🔹 Final Evaluation (Day 7): Seedlings are counted and categorized into normal seedlings, abnormal seedlings, dead seeds, and diseased seeds, determining the final germination percentage of the lot.
Also I got to assist in germination test of various vegetables and cotton as well. Meanwhile, I am posting few photos of my work in paddy seeds.
Working alongside experienced lab personnel, I didn't just observe. I assisted hands-on, learned by doing, and gained a much deeper appreciation for the precision and process behind something as small and ordinary-looking as a seed.
This experience reaffirmed for me that rigorous seed quality control is the invisible foundation of food security, long before a single seed touches the soil.
🌱 Every strong crop begins with a well-tested seed.
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16 August 2026 à 08h27
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