Quality Status of Farmers’ Rice Seed in Hill Districts of Manipur

Abstract

About 250 seed samples were collected from the farmers of hill districts of Manipur to assess the quality status of farmers’ saved rice seeds. Farmers generally store their saved seeds in kotlus, gunny bags, bamboo mats, mud-pastured stored structures, and even in tins and drums without any seed treatment These samples were subject to physical purity analysis, germination test, and moisture content. Only 46.8% of seed samples had 80% seed germination. Out of 250 seed samples, 96 seed samples could meet the permissible seed moisture level. In the pure seed test, only 6 samples could meet the pure seed range of 98%. In the overall seed quality assessment in hill districts, only one sample out of 250 samples could meet the Indian Seed Standard for certification with regard to different quality components. Thus, the quality of farmers’ saved rice seed in Hill Districts of Manipur was very much substandard.