Status of production of quality seed and planting material in horticultural crops

摘要

Horticultural crops are propagated through seeds, tubers, rhizomes and other vegetative methods of propagation. Vegetables, many of the spices, especially seed spices, a few aromatic plants and some flowers are propagated through seeds, while most ofthe other horticultural crop varieties are propagated through vegetative methods of propagation. Vegetative method of propagation including micropropagation which provides opportunities for the faster multiplication of true-to-type clones. Identified high-yielding clones can be propagated faster using vegetative methods of propagation without going for generation to achieve stabilization. However, due to presence of a large number of viruses and viruslike organisms, there are all possibilities for transmission of diseases through clonal propagation, many of which will be lethal or debilitating. Further, many horticultural crops are perennial in nature and any mistake done in the choice of cultivar, and quality of planting material and seed will invitemore risks to the farmers. Quality seed and planting material therefore are the most important determinants of horticultural production, which influences the output from other inputs like fertilizers, water management, pesticide etc. The efforts done forseveral years will be futile, if true-to-type, healthy and disease-free planting material has not been used. Therefore, quality seed and planting material assume greater significance in the development of horticulture.