ABSTRACT
Organic seed production, certification and availability Steven P. C. Groot, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands; and Maaike H. J. E. Raaijmakers, Bionext, The Netherlands
1 Introduction
2 Organic seed quality control issues: seed maturity
3 Seed disease and pathogen control
4 Application of biologicals to seed
5 Seed priming, pelleting and storage
6 Seed certification and testing
7 Organic seed regulations
8 Organic seed production: contamination issues and availability
9 Summary
10 Future trends
11 Where to look for further information
12 References
After preparing the land, organic farmers start crop production by sowing seeds or planting vegetative propagation materials. The quality of organic plant propagation materials has a significant influence on the development of the crop, the final yield and quality. Rapid establishment of seedlings increases their competitiveness with weeds, an important issue for organic farming. A fast-growing root system eases the uptake of nutrients, which is particularly relevant when using organic fertilisers. It is also important to start with seeds free from seed-borne pathogens to reduce the risk of an outbreak of plant disease in the early crop.
