Seed Testing
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Note: this service is for Research Use Only and Not intended for clinical use.
Introduction to Seed Testing
Testing seeds is essential to ensuring their viability for planting, assisting agriculture in avoiding some of the risks associated with crop production, and providing information on many quality qualities (such as purity, moisture, vigor, germination, and health). Testing seeds requires a great deal of technical expertise.
Alfa Chemistry's Advantage in Seed Testing
Alfa Chemistry is a well-known, international third-party testing company that specializes in analyzing the quality of seeds. It has cutting-edge technology and skilled testing personnel. By giving producers, consumers, and the seed business access to information about seed quality, we can offer a one-stop seed testing solution that benefits everyone. Everyone who produces, sells, and uses seeds through us has access to seed testing.
Seed tests that Alfa Chemistry provides include, but are not limited to:
A complete seed testing facility is Alfa Chemistry Laboratories. Our staff of skilled and knowledgeable seed analysts provides a variety of specialist laboratory seed testing services, including seed quality, seed vigor, and seed health, for crop research and private seed testing contracts.
1. Purity Test: Determine if the provided samples fulfill the necessary physical quality criteria for the relevant physical components by determining the purity of various components of pure seeds, seeds from other crops, weed seeds, and inert materials.
2. Moisture Testing.
3. Germination and Vigor Testing.
- Disease.
- Fungal Diseases: Hollow heart / Marsh Spot (Peas disorders).
- Bacterial Diseases: Including Bacterial blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv pisi) and Halo blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv phaseolicola).
- Viruses: Pea Seed-borne Mosaic Virus (PSbMV).
- Pests: Including Stem and Bulb nematode.
Alfa Chemistry Laboratory Seed Sampling Methods
Seed samples (submitted samples) received in our laboratory need to be reduced to obtain working samples for various tests. We have several methods available for obtaining working samples.
We mix and split seeds to obtain a representative homogeneous seed sample for analysis by reducing the submitted sample to the desired working sample size.
| Method of Mixing and Dividing | Mechanical Method |
|---|---|
| We perform a reduced sample size by mechanical splitter for all seeds, except chaff and fuzzy seeds. |
If you have a variety of seed product testing needs, please feel free to contact Alfa Chemistry's experts for inquiry.
Techniques for Seed Testing
Seed Sample Processing Instruments
The instruments used in the preliminary preparation work for seed inspection and testing include sample dividers, seed counters, and tissue grinders. These instruments can provide suitable seed samples according to the needs of seed inspection and testing. For example, to test the germination rate, we need to first know the number of seeds, so a seed counter is needed to quickly determine the number of seeds.
Seed Purity Instruments
Seed air-screen cleaners and seed purity workbenches can be used. These instruments can effectively improve seed purity through screening. For example, the seed air-screen cleaner separates seeds and impurities based on the aerodynamic behavior (floating speed) of fine particles in the airflow.
Seed Moisture Measuring Instruments
Seed moisture detection is a very important aspect that can affect seed quality and safety. Seed moisture meters can be used to detect the moisture content of various seeds. Seed moisture meters have different functions, and digital moisture meters can meet the needs of rapid moisture detection of field seeds. Seed moisture meters have multiple functions, can be handheld, and can detect the moisture content of a variety of seeds. The measurement range for grains is around 8-40%, and for oil crops it is 5-25%.
Seed Germination Testing Instruments
Seed germination rate testing requires the use of seed germination beds, as well as artificial climate chambers and germination boxes. Seed germination beds can quickly and accurately place the seeds, while the artificial climate chamber provides a suitable experimental environment for the seed germination test.
Industry articles
Determination the Moisture of Seed
Rajendra Prasad, S. Seed Science and Technology: Biology, Production, Quality. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2023. 299-334.
Moisture content is the amount of water in seeds, usually expressed as a percentage of wet weight, and is closely related to almost all aspects of seed physiology, including maturity, longevity, and vigor, as well as damage caused by high temperatures, insects, and pathogens.
Methods for Moisture Determination
The principle of moisture determination is to ensure the complete removal of seed moisture while avoiding oxidation, loss of other volatile substances, or decomposition. Two methods can be used to determine seed moisture:
Destructive/Oven Drying Method
• Low constant temperature method (103 °C, 17 hours)
• High constant temperature method (130 °C, 2-3 hours)
Non-Destructive/Rapid Method
• Moisture meters quantify moisture content indirectly based on the electrical resistance/conductivity of water in the seed.
Multielemental Determination of Metals in Edible Seeds
dos Santos, Natália KV, et al. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 111 (2022): 104625.
Pumpkin (Cucurbita máxima), amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus), chia (Salvia hispanica L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) seeds possess excellent nutritional value, antioxidant activity, and other characteristics that can help prevent chronic diseases and cancer. Due to these properties, their consumption has been increasing worldwide. However, although they are important nutrient sources, they may also contain potentially toxic elements. Determining the metal content in foods is crucial for understanding their nutritional composition and ensuring their quality and safety.
High-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS) can be used to perform multielemental analysis of solid samples, directly determining Cd, Ni, and Fe in edible seeds.
High-Throughput Seed Germination Phenotyping Method
Merieux, N., Cordier, P., Wagner, M. H., Ducournau, S., Aligon, S., Job, D., ... & Grappin, E. (2021). Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1404.
ScreenSeed is a high-throughput phenotyping tool for seed germination, developed to screen genotypic responsiveness and chemical treatments. The technology is currently used for Arabidopsis seeds, where seeds are cultured in 96-well microplates under specific conditions, and radicle emergence from the seed coat is detected through automated image analysis to characterize the germination behavior of seed samples.
The technology provides a rapid procedure that can process thousands of seeds without compromising the reproducibility or accuracy of germination measurements. Potential biases in the experimental setup are evaluated through statistical analysis of germination kinetics. Comparison of the ScreenSeed pipeline with the commonly used visual scoring-based germination tests showed very similar germination kinetics.
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