1 / 17

High Tech Seed Cleaning

High Tech Seed Cleaning. Low Cost Alternatives. Initial Steps in Seed Preparation. Adapted seed source (Often local) Locate mature flowering plants of desired species Flowering in the spring is the first sign there will be seeds to collect.

Download Presentation

High Tech Seed Cleaning

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. High Tech Seed Cleaning Low Cost Alternatives

  2. Initial Steps in Seed Preparation • Adapted seed source (Often local) • Locate mature flowering plants of desired species • Flowering in the spring is the first sign there will be seeds to collect. • Can make preparation to grow plants if we know we will have seeds.

  3. Initial Steps in Seed Preparation • Monitor seeds as they are maturing and at harvest • Will there be enough for our plans ? • Is the quality good enough to collect ? • Are there good seeds ? • Are they mature ? • Need to know seed structure • Cutting test or pinching is an option to evaluate seeds in the field

  4. After collection Before cleaning

  5. After collection terms • Keep Cool: If you would be hot then your seeds are hot. Do not let your seeds feel hot. • Keep Moist: keep fruit from drying and becoming hard, but do not let it ferment – ventilate. • Allow to dry: put up on racks in thin layers (1 inch) where air can reach seeds. • Do not allow to dry: must keep in sealed container (plastic bag) or a damp location or water.

  6. Steps in cleaning • Extraction: remove seeds from fruits • Clean: remove trash from seeds • Upgrade: eliminate additional trash, bad seeds • Prepare for storage

  7. Extracting fleshy fruit • Fruit must be soft enough to crush easily with your fingers • Water soak will soften • Can take 1 to many days or a week or more • Must change water daily to prevent fermentation • Extraction will damage seeds if fruit is not soft. • A juicer will macerate fruit • Wash pulp away on a screen

  8. Extracting dry fruits • Dry fruit that opens (cyprus) • Must give room for fruit expansion • Shake fruit to remove seeds • Dry fruit that does not open (mt mahogany) • May require breaking fruit open (pods) • Fruit may be the “seed” and require only drying

  9. Drying fruits • Open air drying on screens or sheets will work • Air movement over the seed will help • Seeds must be in thin layers and turned often • A seed dryer may help • Easier drying • Faster drying

  10. What is a seed drier? • Two boxes • Screen-bottomed top box holds the seeds • Bottom box has a fan to force air through seeds • Boxes fit tightly together so little or no air escapes except through the seeds. • Device that dries seeds quickly, easily, uniformly

  11. When will seeds and fruits dry? • Relative humidity usually less than 30% • Heat may be needed to dry the air • When to add heat? • How much heat is needed? • Should never use heat above 110oF • Psychrometric table is our guide

  12. Cleaning • Seeds from fleshy fruits need drying • Some dry seeds may need appendages removed • Tail on mountain mahogany – leather gloves • Wing on pine seed – rubbing board • Cotton on willow or aspen – vacuum cleaner

  13. Cleaning - Screens • Types of Screens • Hardware cloth of different sizes • Purchase hand screens (come in many sizes) • Soil sieves very small seeds (aspen) • Trash over/seeds through: sclaping • Seeds over/trash through: sieving • Separate by diameter or thickness, not length

  14. Cleaning - air • Pour seeds out in front of a fan • Lighter particles fall farther from the fan than do heavier particles • Work best with larger seeds • Vacuum trash up from seeds on a screen • Spread seeds out in a layer one seed deep. • Come down on seeds slowly with vacuum, stopping when trash is lifted up.

  15. Upgrading • Hand pick trash • Water floatation • Seeds float and trash sinks • Trash floats and seeds sink • Use a sieve or drink bottle • Fan to blow out empty seeds. • Check seeds to see if full • Thin seeds on a light table • Some can be pressed lightly • Cut a few

  16. Preparing for storage • Dry the seeds over night on a drier or in a dry room • Seal in plastic bag or bottle to protect from moisture • Not need this step if sowing seeds in a few weeks.

More Related