HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE OF SEED TECHNOLOGY IN FORESTRY

摘要

The subject of the importance of seed technology in tree improvement programme in forestry is being discussed for a long time now. It was discussed in the Sixth Silvicultural Conference in the year 1945, i.e. nearly about 50 years back, and resolutions were passed on the proposal regarding cooperative seed collection and distribution. Those resolutions have since remained the basis of seed collections in the country. In the all India Symposium organized by FRI in 1958, the major emphasis was placed on the arrangements for assuring supplies of proper seed. It was this symposium that recommended the creation of a Seed Testing and Certification Agency at the Forest Research Institute at Dehradun. With the expansion of plantation programmes of various state forest departments in the successive five year plans, the creation of a seed testing laboratory became absolutely essential. Accordingly, a laboratory was established during the 3rd five year plan. Since inception, it has remained a small section inthe Silviculture Division, This laboratory was recognized as an accredited station for forest tree seeds and in 1971 three senior officers of the institute (the then President, FRI & Colleges, the Central Silviculturist and the Forest Pathologist) wereaccorded the status of accredited members of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). In its capacity as ISTA accredited member station, this laboratory was authorized to issue International Seed Analysis Certificates after examination of seedsamples in accordance with the ISTA Rules for Seed Testing. Since 1973 neither the FRI Seed Testing Laboratory nor any officer/scientist has been accredited to the ISTA. In 1976, with the introduction of the Indo-Danish project on Seed Procurement and Tree Improvement, seed testing laboratories were established in three regional centres of the Indo-Danish project viz. Dehradun, Hyderabad and Coimbatore and one sub-centre at Jabalpur.