Seed Pelleting-A Key for Enhancing the Seed Quality

Seed pelleting is the process of enclosing a seed with small quantity of inert material just large enough to produce globular unit of standard size to provide small amount of nutrients to young seedlings. Pelleting is the process of coating seeds with inert materials to make them uniform in size and shape. Pelleted seed could be direct seeded in the field or sown in flats for transplants, these seed allows for greater accuracy and results in a more efficient seeding process. Initially, seed coating and pelleting technology have been developed for seed signalation, adding bioactive chemicals, nutrients and beneficial microbes and for sowing seed under dry and wet conditions. Main objective of seed coating is to facilitate mechanical sowing to achieve uniformity of plant spacing and also act as a carrier for plant protectants. Mainly two type of material used in seed pelleting such as adhesive materials and filler materials. There are various methods used for pelleting viz., Inoculant pelleting, Protective pelleting, herbicide pelleting nutrient pelleting hydrophilic/hydrophobic coating and oxygen supplier coating. Seed pelleting is necessary to reduce the rate of deterioration specially in vegetable crops, reduce the quantitative and qualitative loss besides maintaining quality of the seed for longer storage. New seed coating techniques have contributed to reduced pesticide contents per seed and reduced cost because of improved seed adherence. From this article it is suggested that seed pelleting is an important process to reduced seed rate and thining practices during seed production. It not only enhance the seed quality it also reduced the cost of seed production.