Food security depends on seed security,and in countries where subsistence fanning still predominates,the ability to improve farm production is severely handicapped by a lack of supply of quality seeds.Farmers require access to seeds which are genetically and physically pure,free from problem weeds and seed-borne diseases,and have high germination and seed vigour.The Seed Chain,when properly operated,provides an assurance of adequate supplies of seed of the required quality,but unfortunately Seed Chain problems still exist in many countries.The financial and environmental benefits of reduced tillage methods for crop establishment are well recognized,and there is now a range of modular plot/small scale seeders which can be used for reduced tillage and conventional crop establishment,available for developed,transitional and developing agricultural economies.However,improved seeding technologies demand high seed quality.Seeding equipment and seed quality are inexorably linked,and the development of the former and supply of the latter must at all times meet the needs of the end-user.
Seed Research Centre, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand Flexiseeder Ltd, Governors Bay Road, RDI Lyttelton 8971, New Zealand Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7070, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden Fodder and Pasture Division, NepalAgricultural Research Council, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Post Box 11660 AgResearch Lincoln, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand Plant & Food Research, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao City 266109, Peoples Republic of China North-West Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Electrification of the Russian Academy