Glossary

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A

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A line  

Cytoplasmic male sterile seed parent used in making commercial hybrids.  

 

 Abnormal seedlings 

Those seedlings, which do not show the capacity for, continued development into normal plants when grown in good quality soil, and under favorable conditions of water supply, temperature and light.  

 

Admixture 

Something added to seed other than the kind and/or variety specified.  

 

Anther 

The sac like structure in which pollen is borne.  Anthers normally have two lobes or cavities, which open by longitudinal slits or be terminal pores and release pollen

 

Anthesis    

The process of dehiscence of anthers, the period of pollen distribution.  

 

Awn  

A slender bristle shaped elongated appendages or extension to a glume, achene anther etc., such as beards of wheat or rye.  

 

Andomonoecious   

Refers to a plant species in which male and bisexual flowers are produced on the same plant e.g. musk melon and ridge gourd.

 
Apomixis 

Reproduction from an unfertilized egg or from somatic cells associated with the egg. 

 

Air screen cleaner  

It is the basic seed processing machine.  Initial cleaning of all seeds is done by an air screen cleaner. 

 

Aspirator  

A seed processing machine, in which seed separations are made by use of air, on the basis of differences in terminal velocity of seed.  It has a fan, at the discharge point, which creates a vacuum or negative pressure within the machine.  Air rushing to full in the vacuum, creates a stream of air which is used to separate seeds. 

 

Auricle  

Ear-shaped appendages, usually on leaves.


B

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B Line

The fertile counter part parent of the A line, the maintainer line.

 

Border rows

The recommended number of rows of the male parental line to be grown on all the sides of the seeds field, growing two different parents.   

 
Back cross 

The cross of a hybrid to one of the parental types. 

 

Bias

A consistant and false departure of a statistic from its proper value.

 

Bolt

Formation of an elongated stem or seed stalk.  In the case of biennial plants, this generally occurs on the second season of growth.  

 

Bio type  

A population of individual, with identical genetic constitution.  A biotype may be homozygous or heterogygous. 

 

Bulb

An elongated, fleshy, thick, underground part of a stem surrounded by a mass of leafy scales.  Scales of a bulb are actually thickened and shortened leaves.  Roots develop from the base of bulb.  The lily is an example.  

 

Bud spout 

A branch, flower or fruit or fruit that differs genetically from the remainder of the plant.    

 

Berry

A simple fleshy fruit. 

 

Bulk  

Assembly of similar materials from a collection into one or more bulks.

 

 Bulk sample  

When the seed is in bulk or in large containers the primary samples drawn from random positions and depths forms a bulk samples. 

 

Bin 

An enclosed structure used for storage of seeds.

 

Breeder’s seed 

Is directly controlled by the originating or sponsoring plant breeding institution, firm or individual, and is the source for the production of seed of the certified classes.  It has the maximum genetic purity.   

 

Bucket elevator  

This equipment is used to lift the seed to the top of bins/machines for cleaning, sorting or sacking.


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Container  

Container is a box, bottle, casket, tin, barrel, case, receptacle, sack, bag, wrapper or other things in which any article or thing is placed or packed. 

 

Cross fertilization 

The union of an egg with a sperm from a plant of different clone. 

 

Clone 

A group of plants, originating by vegetative propagation by a single plant.  

 

Character.

An identifiable hereditary property such as a specific component of colour of structural details, a colour pattern or resistance to diseases. 

 
Cleistogamy  

Pollination and fertilization before the flower has opened. 

 

Companion crop

A Companion crop is one grown with a crop and together they complete their life cycle in equal period. 

 

Composite mixture 

Breeder seed obtained by mechanically combining seeds from two or more strains.  The mixture is increased through successive steps in a certified seed programme and distributed as a synthetic variety. 

 

Cytoplasmic male sterility  

A type of male sterility, conditional by the cytoplasm rather than by nuclear genes and transmitted only through the female parent.

 

Cytoplasm

Main contents of a cell in which the nucleus and other bodies are located.   

 

Chemical hybridising agent (CHA) 

Chemicals which cause pollen abortion and render the treated plants male sterile while not affecting ovule fertility. 

 

Chromosome  

Small structure in the nucleus of a cell that carry the genes.  They appear as thread or rod shaped structures during metaphase.  Each species has a characteristic number of chromosomes.

 
Commercial hybrid  

Refers to the first generation F1 of the hybrid planted for any purpose. 

 

Central Seed Committee

Central seed Committee was constituted under sub-section (1) of the section 3 of the Seeds Act, 1966. Its function is to advise the Central Government and the State Governments on matters arising out of the administration of the Seeds Act, 1966, and to carry out the other functions assigned to it by or under the Seeds Act 1966. 

 

Certification Agency 

Seed Certification Agency established under section 8 or recognised under Section 18 of the Seeds Act, 1966.  Its major function is to certify seeds of any notified kind or varieties. 

 

Certification sample

A sample of seeds drawn by a certification agency or by a duly authorised representative of a Certification Agency.  

 

Certified Seed  

The progeny of breeder’s select or foundation seed so handled as to maintain satisfactory genetic purity and identity.  Production must be acceptable to a certification agency.  Also refers to seed that fulfils all requirements for certification provided by the Seeds Act and Rules and to the container of which the certification tag is attached. 

 

Certification Tag

Means a tag or label (of a specified design) of the certification agency.  It constitutes a certificate granted by the Certification Agency.

 

Check

A row or plot of standard variety included in nursery or plot tests for comparison.  

 

Composite sample 

This involved removing awns or hulls, bearding up clusters, scalping off large trash and other operations, which improve the condition and flow ability of the seed. 

 

Contaminant

The factors which affect the genetic and physical quality of seed such as offtypes, foreign pollen, other crop plants, weed plants, plants affected by designated diseases, weed seeds etc. are referred to as contaminants. 

 

Continuous drying

Drying carried out with a continuous flow of grain and air, in contrast to batch operation.  

 

Cotyledon  

The endosperm of the seed, one in monocotyledons two or more in dicotylendons. 

 

Corm  

A bulky, short, vertical under ground stem which stores food. 

 

Crown  

The persistent base of a tufted perennial herbaceous plant as found in grasses and asparagus. 

 

Curd   

A mass of flower primordial meristems as found in cauliflower (heading broccoli). 

 

Cyme  

A centrifugal inflorescence on which the secondary or lateral branches continue to grow and extend beyond main axis. 


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Detassel  

To remove that tassel or pollen producing organ at the top of maize plant before pollen is released.

 

Dioecious

Having staminate and pistillate flowers on different plants of the same species for example spinach, hemp, date palm, papaya, pointed gourd, little gourd asparagus etc.  

 

Diploid   

Organism or cell with two sets of chromosome.   

 

Double cross  

The first generation hybrid resulting from the controlled crosses of two approved single cross. 

 
Damping off  

The collapse of seedlings ascribed to the attacks of fungus organisms such as Botrytis vulgaris and Pythium Species.

 
Dead Seeds 

Seeds, which at the end of test period are neither hard nor fresh and have not produced Seedlings, are classified as dead seeds. 

 

Designated diseases 

Refers to the diseases specified for certification seeds and in whose regard certification standards must be met.  

 

Dormancy 

An internal condition of the chemistry, or stages of development, of viable seed that prevent its germination although good growing temperature and moisture are provided.  A state of dormancy is a resting state that must be broken by time or special conditions before a seed will germinate at temperatures and moisture levels suitable for growth.   

 

 Drier  

A unit, which provides the conditions for removing moisture, generally by forced ventilation with or without the addition of heat.


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Ear  

A large, dense or hairy spike or spike like inflorescence as the ear of maize.  Also used for the spike like panicle of grasses such as wheat, barley, etc.   

 

Egg

A female gamete.  

 
Emasculation  

Removal of stamens before they burst and shed their pollen.

 

Elevator 

The equipment used for moving seeds. 

 

Embryo 

The rudimentary plant within the seed. 

 

Endosperm  

The tissue of seeds developing from fertilization of the polar nuclei of the ovule by a second male nucleus that nourishes the embryo. 

 

Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) 

The moisture content of the product when it is in equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere is called the equal moisture content or hygroscopic equilibrium.  

 

Epigeal  

Plants in which the cotyledons appear above the surface of soil. 

 

Epicotyl  

The growing point of the embryo, which gives rise to the shoot, or the above ground part of the plant.   

Ergot   

1. A disease of grasses and Cereals caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea. 

2. The Sclerotium of this fungus, which replaces the seeds of the host, and contains alkaloids which cause ergotism in animals and man.


F

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Factor 

That which is responsible for the independent inheritance of a Mendelian difference.

 

F I

Generation that arises from a given crossing, filial generation.  

 

Fertility  

The ability to produce viable offspring. 

 

Fertilization  

The fusion of a male gamete (Sperm) with a female gamete (egg) and of their nucleus without which their later development is usually impossible. 

 

Foundation Seed  

The progeny of breeder’s select, or foundation seed handled to maintain specific genetic purity and identity.  The production must be acceptable to a certifying agency.  It is primary source of seed of a genetically identified variety from which all further increase are made. 

 

Foreign Seed  

Seeds of weeds and crops other than the kind being tested. 

 

Free flowing seed  

Non chaffy smooth seeds which will travel easily through sampling or mixing devices.  

 

Fumigation

Fumigation of seed lots by Celphos, E.D.B. etc., to kill storage insect pests.  Storage structures must be leak proof for effective fumigation. 

 

Field Inspection

An official inspection of seed fields conducted by the official of a Certification Agency or his authorised agent. 

 

Fungi 

The Thallophyta lacking photosynthetic pigments.  They are saprophytic or parasitic.  The plant body is made up of simple filaments (in the true fungi) hyphae, and sexual (and usually sexual) reproduction is by spores.  There is no fission.  They accumulate glycogen rather than starch.

 

Full sib  

Term used in population improvement.  A full-sib family comprises progeny from a cross between two selected plants within the population.


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Genotype  

The hereditary make up of an individual plant or animal, which with the environment controls the individual characteristics, such as type of flower, or bony structure, or shape of leaf or color of hair. 

 

Germ plasm 

The hereditary material. 

 

Germination

The intake of water by a seed, spore etc., leading to an increase in metabolism and elongation finally resulting in the formation of new tissue.  

 

Genetic purity 

Trueness to type, varietal purity, plants/ seeds conforming to characteristics of the variety as described by the breeder. 

 

Glumes  

The pairs of bracts at the base of a spikelet in grasses.

 

Grow-out-Test 

Performed to determine the genuineness of seed as to species or variety. 

 

Gravity separator  

It is a seed processing machine by with seed separations are made on the basis of differences in specific gravity. 

 

Gall

Swelling or excrescence of tissue of plants resulting from the attacks of certain parasites or seed structures in which the contents have been replaced by nematodes.

 

Gene pool  

Useful genes or gene complexes in a divergent population.  

 

Generation

One complete life cycle.  The generation begins with the formation of the zygote and ends when the resulting plant dies. 

 

Glabrous  

Hairless. 

 

Genetic sterility  

A type of make sterility conditioned by nuclear genes.  In contrast to cytoplasmic sterility, it may be transmitted by either the male or female parent.

 

Growing season   

Period(s) of the year during which crops grow and mature.  

 

Gynomonoecious

Refers to a plant species in which female and bisexual flowers are produced on the same plant e.g. cucumber.


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Hybrid

Plants resulting from a cross between parents that are genetically unlike.  

 

Host

The plant and animal on which a parasite lives. 

 

Head

1. A group of conidia and sterigmata crowded into a dense mass, which is rounded in outline.

2. A dense inflorescence, of Small crowded, usually sessile flowers, usually surrounded by an involucre. 

 
Hard Seed 

Seeds that have a seed coat impervious to water or oxygen required for germination for example seeds of Leguminanceae, Malvaceae etc.,  

 

Hilum   

The scar of the seed; its place of attachment.

 

Hybrid vigour (Heterosis)

The increase in vigour beyond that of the parents of the hybrid.  

 

Heat injury

The injury caused to seeds due to heat; drying at higher temperatures may cause heat injury to seeds and may result in lowering of seed germination.

 

Homozygous   

Having identical genes at corresponding loci on homologous chromosomes.  

 

Heterozygous 

Having unlike alleles at corresponding loci of homologous chromosomes.  An organism may be heterozygous for one or several genes.

 

Hypogeal
          Plants in which the cotyledons remain below the surface of the soil.

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Inbreeding

The raising of progeny by mating of two or more closely related gametes or zygotes. 

 
Inbred line 

An inbred line is a relatively true breeding strain resulting from at least five successive generations of controlled self fertilization, or of back crossing to a recurrent parent with selection or its equivalent.

Increase 

To multiply a quantity of seed by planting it rearing the plants that grow from it and harvesting the seeds they produce.  The seeds resulting from this process are called an increase. 

 

Inflorescence 

The flowering axis or other panicle. 

Specialised flowering structure of a plant such as an umbel, raceme, spike etc.   

 

Immature seed 

Not fully developed, not having parts developed.

 

Inert matter

Seed like structures from crop and weed plants that are one half the original size or less, badly injured and undeveloped seed like structures of weeds glumes, stems and other parts, sand, dirt and other related substances.

 

Inhibitor

A chemical substance that acts to prevent a process from occurring; many chemicals both natural and artificial can act to prevent seed germination.

 

Isolation

Separation of seed fields from fields of other varieties of the same crop, same variety fields not conforming to varietal purity requirements; other related species and fields affected by designated diseases to prevent genetic and disease contamination.


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Kind

One or more related species or sub species of crop plants each individually or collectively known by one common name such as cabbage, maize, paddy and wheat.


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Lot  

Any quantity of seed up to a prescribed maximum which can be represented by one sample to analysis. 

 

Lot Number  

Individuals seed lot shall be assigned a specific number in order to facilitate maintaining its identity, tracing back to its origin, handling in stores, transit etc., accounting and inventory maintenance and referring (or) communicating about a certain quantity of seed.

 

Ligule  

1. A flattened membrane arising from the base of the leaves of some lycopods.

2. A membrane at the junction of the leaf sheath and leaf base of many grasses.

 


M

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Moisture  

Amount of water present in seeds.

 
Male Sterile

Describes the complete or partial failure of a male plant to produce mature reproductive pollen cells. 

 

Monoecious  

Having staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant for example corn, cucurbits, etc.

 

Mutant

An organism which has acquired a heritable variation as a result of mutation.

 

Maintainer line 

The fertile counterpart parent of the A line.  This is also known as B line. 

 

Mixed cropping

Two or more crops are grown in mixed stand either as ‘birra’ mixture or in separate rows in different proportion.  When any of the crop in mixed stand gets vitiated due to one reason or other, the other crop may act as an insurance against complete loss of other.  

 

Multi line variety

Consist of two or more near isogenic lines or normally self fertilising plants which are similar in most characteristics but differ in a limited number of describable physiological, morphological or other essential or distinctive characteristics.  A multi line is derived by growing the component lines separately composting the lines to constitute the breeder class of seed.


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Nick 

The two parents for producing hybrid seed are said to nick, when they produce high yields of seed of a highly productive and desirable hybrid.

 

Nucleus seed

A group of progenies of individual plants taken at random from a variety for the purpose of purifying that variety of mixtures and off types.

 

Notified kind or variety

In relation to any seeds this means any kind or variety thereof notified under Section 5 of seeds Act.1966.

 

Noxious weed seed

Seeds of noxious weed species restricted by law from being present in any quantity in agricultural seeds.

 

Normal seedlings

The seedlings, which show the capacity for continued development into normal plants when grown in good quality soil and under favourable conditions of water supply, temperature and light.


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Out Cross

(A Cross to an individual not closely related). 

A cross, usually natural to be a plant of a different genotype; mating of hybrid with their parent; an off-type plant resulting from pollen of a different sort contaminating a seed field.

 

Off-types

Plant or seed deviating significantly from the characteristics of a variety as described by the breeder in any observable respect.

 

Objectionable weed seed

Weed plant whose seed is difficult to separate once mixed with crop seed and which is poisonous or injurious or has a smothering effect on the main crop.  It is difficult to eradicate once established, has a high multiplication ratio thus making its spread quick and serves as an alternate host for crop diseases and pests.

 

Other Crop Seed (OCS)

Seeds of plants, which are grown as crops, other than the main crop.

 

Open pollination

Seed  produced as a result of natural  pollination  as  opposed

 hybrid seed produced as a result of controlled pollination.

 

Ovule

The body within the ovary of the flower that becomes the seed after fertilization and development.


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Phenotype

The observed character of an individual without reference to its genetic nature.  Individuals of the same phenotype appear alike but may not breed alike.

 

Planting ratio

The recommended ratio in which the male and female parental lines are planted to make a crossing block in hybrid seed production.

 

Pollen shedders

In hybrid seed production involving male sterility, the plants of B line present in A line are termed as pollen shedders.

 

Pure Seed

The pure seed refers to the seeds (including broken seeds more than half the original size) of the species stated by the sender, or found to predominate in the purity test.  It includes all botanical varieties and cultivars of that species even if immature, undersized, shrivelled, diseased or germinated provided they can be definitely identified as of that species.

 

Producer

An individual (or) an institution, private, quasi Government (or) Government, producing seeds by observing seed certification rules.

 

Previous crop

The crop grown in the season immediately preceding the one in which the seed crop is grown.

 

Previous season