ABSTRACT
After seeds are dried, cleaned,. and treated with suitable chemicals, they must be packaged in containers specifying their net weight. Packaging is the last operation of the seed-processing line, in which seeds are packed into bags of uniform size. Packaging consists of the following operations:
1. Filling of seed bags to the specified weight 2. Placing leaflets in the seed bags regarding improved cultural practices per-
taining to the cultivar 3. Attaching labels and seed-certification tags to the seed bags and sewing of
the bags 4. Transportation or storage of the bags
Transfering the cleaned seed from the processing plant to the field where it is to be sown is neither a simple nor a speedy operation (1). The seed may have to travel long distances by a variety ofmeans of transport during which there must be no leakage of the seed or the pesticide with which it has been treated. Thomson (2) regarded packagIng as:
1. A convenient unit for handling, transporting, and storing 2. A protection against contamination, mechanical damage, and loss 3. A suitable microenvironment for storage 4. A barrier against loss of seed and escape of pesticides 5. A sales promoter
Seed handling consists of receiving, elevating, and conveying operations in the processing plant. Seed-processing plants should have adequate equipment for receiving and conveying seed throughout the plant. A well-equipped plant has a pit area where incoming trucks can be unloaded quickly. From here seed is conveyed further to the processing units in the plant vertically, horizontally, or on an inclined plane as required.
