At the time of physiological seed maturity the germination and vigour of the seed is optimal and at its maximum. This is the time where our farmers are harvesting the seed.
The seed is dried immediately after harvest to reach a moisture content of 12-13%. This gives the seed the best position to be stored. A careful and soft handling during the seed processing is also your garantee for a high quality product with a long shelf life. Nevertheless seed is a living organism and ageing of seeds starts right after harvest. The aim of the storage should therefore be to create conditions to slow the ageing process.
Low moisture is more important than low temperature. You might experience problems if the seed is exposed to large differences in temperature. In that case air circulation can be initiated which does not only transport heat but also moisture from seed to seed. This is possible because the difference in the temperature of warm seed and cold air condense water on the seed in the bag. The high moisture content accelerate the respiration of the seed and thereby the loss of energy.
The temperature and humidity decides how long you can store the seed. Each seed has a built-in "shelf life meter" which is the potential time the seed can be stored.
Figure 1-deterioration of seed over time
In Figure 1, Line A is the maximum period of seed shelf life, whereas Line B shows the effect of poor seed storage conditions in the warehouse. When conditions deteriorate, the seed germination will deteriorate accordingly. In the majority of cases, the germination will stay stable for a length of time before starting to decline.
Generally, the colder and drier the surrounding environment the better. The conditions to aim for are 30% relative humidity - or as low as possible and temperatures below 15°C. The aim is a temperature that is as consistent as possible. It is more important to maintain consistency, rather than maintaining a low temperature level, i.e. a range from 15-17°C is far better than a range from 8-30°C. Darkness is a third rule of optimal seed storage. Light stimulate and support the germination process in the seeds and storage in darkness helps keeping the pre-germination processes in the seed at a low level.
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