The seed is the basis of our agriculture. Dehydration and dormancy of mature seeds are crucial for the storage of seeds, which can be used as food throughout the year and also raise crops in the next season. There are certain seeds that can be stored for some period of time while others cannot be stored for long. The major deterioration occurs in their viability. Seeds that cannot remain viable for long are of no use. The viability of seed is its ability to germinate under favourable conditions.
Some seeds are short-lived such as groundnuts and onions while others stay viable longer.
Moisture in seeds plays an important role in keeping them viable for a long period of time. Based on the moisture content, the seeds can be classified as follows:
1. Orthodox seeds: These are the seeds that can survive even in low moisture conditions without losing their viability. These can be dried up to 5% moisture content. A decrease in moisture increases the storage life of these seeds. For example rice, guava, cashew, sorghum seeds, etc.
2. Recalcitrant seeds: These seeds cannot survive in low moisture conditions. These cannot retain their viability below 20-30% moisture content. These seeds include mango, cocoa, rubber, avocado, etc.