Field Inspection

Field inspection, that is, inspection of standing seed crops is an essential step in verifying conformity of seed crops to prescribed certification standards.

Objective

1. To verify seed origin and identity of the variety.
2. To collect information on cropping history of the see field, that is, to verify whether the seed field meets the prescribed land requirements.
3. To check crop and cultivation conditions.
4. To check isolation distance.
5. To check freedom from impurities, namely, other crop plants and weeds plants.
6. To check freedom from seed-borne disease.

_{General principles}

1. All field inspections must be made by well-trained and qualified personnel. The inspector has to know the prerequisites and standards.
2. The prescribed procedures and techniques of field inspection and the minimum number of inspections specified in the certification standards should be strictly adhered to.
3. The inspections should be made without prior notice.
4. The seed inspector should achieve full co-operation from the seed growers, even in the case of the rejection of a field.
5. Upon arrival at the seed farm, the inspector should check all information about species, variety, seed origin, cultivated area, class of seed, cropping history of the field to be inspected, and known adjacent fields of the same species, which may be dangerous from isolation point of view.
6. Each field and its boundaries must be pointed by the seed grower.
7. During the walk in the field, the inspector must make estimates of other varieties and impurities, diseased plants, general condition of the crop, applied farm practices and possible yield.
8. If the direction of plant rows permits, the inspector should walk through his side or back.

Method

The inspection of a seed crop is done at different stages of crop growth so as to make various verifications and estimates of various impurities, off-types and diseases, etc.

Crop stage of inspection

1. Inspection at the time of sowing

Sowing time inspections to educate the farmers participating in a certified seed production. Programme for the first time, or at times when a new crop is introduced, are very helpful in maintaining good quality of seed. In biennial crops the main objective is to verify the purity of roots/stem at the time of transplanting.

2. Inspection during pre-flowering/vegetative stage

The purpose of pre-flowering inspection is to educate growers regarding plants to be rogued and to suggest other corrective measures.

3. Inspection during flowering stage

• Check whether various corrective measures, if suggested earlier, have been carried out.
• Check or re-check the land and isolation requirements, planting ratios and source seed.
• Take detailed counts for various contaminating factors.

• Advise the farmer to continue roguing during flowering season.

4. Inspection during post-flowering and pre-harvest stage

The corrective isolation measures suggested earlier may also be checked to ensure whether these have been done.

5. Harvest time inspection

Harvest time inspection is the last inspection conducted on a seed crop. During this inspection detailed counts are taken for various factors, and isolation requirements are finally checked to confirm whether the seed crop has met the requisite field standards. The farmer should be given necessary instructions regarding precautions he should take during harvesting/threshing and supply of the material to processing plants.

6. Contaminants to be observed during field inspection

• _Off-types

Plants of the same crop species as the seed crop, differing in the expression of morphological characters such as plant type, branching habit, pigmentation, etc., are classified as ‘off-type’.

• Pollen shedder

In hybrid seed production involving use of cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility three different lines, namely, a male sterile line (A line), a maintainer line (B line) and a restorer(R line) are involved. While tacking field counts only those ‘B’ line ears which have 2cm or more of the ear length shedding pollen or which have already shed pollen, are counted as pollen shedders.the grower must be informed, so that the whole b line plants can be completely removed before they commence shedding3

• Shedding tassel

Tassels on female parents plants found during field inspection to have come out but which have not commenced shedding are not counted, but special mention as ‘’not commenced shedding’’ is made for subsequent inspections to be done sooner

• Inseparable other crop plants and objectionable weed plants

Inseparable other crop plants, are plants of cultivated crops found in the seed field and whose seeds are so similar to the crop found in the seed field and whose seeds are so similar to the crop seed that it is difficult to separate them economically by mechanical means. If its stage of growth is so widely different from that of the seed crop that it cannot bear seed by the time the seed crop matures, it need not be counted. However, the presence of an inseparable other crop plant in widely differing stages is made for verification during subsequent inspection

• Diseased plants

The plants affected by diseases should invariably be counted and roguing of these plants from side fields.