Description:
Since 2004 it is imposed by the EU to use organic seed for organic farming. Maximal quality is a must, but sometimes there are not enough high quality seed lots available. A quality analysis of a seed lot can provide valuable information about the utility and the optimal seed treatment of the seed lot which should result in a quality improvement. Moreover, it is important to know which sorting technology to use that can improve the quality of the seed lot. Problems that can lower the seed quality are seed born pathogens like Botrytis on onion, Pythium and Fusarium on tomato, Alternaria radicina and Alternaria dauci on carrot, Pseudomonas porri and Alternaria porri on leek and Phoma lingam and Brassicicola on cabbage. Furthermore, the vigour of the above listed seeds can also be too low.
Research objectives:
Testing of the method of spectral seed sorting on different combinations of crop and pathogen/vigour in close cooperation with the seed industry.
Results and products:
The result of this project is knowledge on the applicability for the seed industry of spectral sorting on health and vigour: combinations of crop and pathogen/vigour combinations that improve the seed quality by spectral sorting. The product is a prototype spectral seed sorting equipment that can be used on an industrial scale by the seed companies. Furthermore, a scientific article on the outcome of this project will be published. |
