Seed Science and Seed Production Technology MCQs 2026

The primary purpose of seed certification is to maintain

1. A genetic purity and prescribed seed quality standards ✓
2. B maximum fertilizer response in the field ✓
3. C uniform market price of seed ✓
4. D minimum irrigation requirement of seed crops ✓

Nucleus seed is generally maintained under the direct supervision of

1. A a commercial seed dealer ✓
2. B the original breeder or responsible breeding institution ✓
3. C the grain procurement agency ✓
4. D the pesticide registration office ✓

Breeder seed is normally used for producing

1. A certified seed directly for farmers ✓
2. B truthfully labelled grain ✓
3. C foundation seed ✓
4. D hybrid seed only ✓

The blue tag in common seed certification systems is associated with

1. A breeder seed ✓
2. B nucleus seed ✓
3. C foundation seed ✓
4. D certified seed ✓

A standard germination test measures the percentage of seeds that produce

1. A normal seedlings under favorable conditions ✓
2. B seedlings with maximum root dry weight only ✓
3. C plants with highest grain yield only ✓
4. D sprouts under field stress conditions only ✓

Tetrazolium testing is mainly used to estimate seed

1. A genetic purity ✓
2. B viability ✓
3. C test weight ✓
4. D field emergence spacing ✓

The most important factor controlling safe long-term storage of orthodox seeds is

1. A high seed moisture combined with high temperature ✓
2. B continuous exposure to sunlight ✓
3. C low seed moisture combined with low temperature ✓
4. D storage in freshly harvested green pods ✓

Recalcitrant seeds differ from orthodox seeds because they

1. A remain viable only after deep freezing at high moisture ✓
2. B always require mechanical scarification ✓
3. C are produced only by cereal crops ✓
4. D cannot tolerate substantial drying without loss of viability ✓

The thousand seed weight test is mainly an indicator of seed

1. A size and plumpness ✓
2. B chromosome number ✓
3. C pollen fertility ✓
4. D soil salinity tolerance ✓

Physical purity analysis of a seed sample separates pure seed from

1. A chlorophyll, starch and oil ✓
2. B other crop seed, weed seed and inert matter ✓
3. C root, shoot and coleoptile parts ✓
4. D dominant and recessive seeds ✓

Roguing in a seed production field means

1. A mixing two varieties before harvest ✓
2. B spraying herbicide after seed packaging ✓
3. C grading seed by specific gravity only ✓
4. D removing off-type, diseased or undesirable plants ✓

Isolation distance in seed production is maintained chiefly to prevent

1. A loss of seed moisture during drying ✓
2. B attack by storage insects only ✓
3. C genetic contamination by unwanted pollen or mixtures ✓
4. D excess nitrogen fixation in soil ✓

Seed dormancy is best described as the failure of viable seed to germinate under

1. A otherwise favorable conditions ✓
2. B complete absence of an embryo ✓
3. C zero moisture conditions only ✓
4. D mechanical harvest conditions ✓

Scarification is commonly used to overcome dormancy caused by

1. A absence of stored food ✓
2. B a hard or impermeable seed coat ✓
3. C low chromosome number ✓
4. D excessive genetic purity ✓

Cold stratification is particularly useful for seeds having

1. A mechanical admixture with inert matter ✓
2. B excessive seed-borne insects ✓
3. C physiological dormancy requiring moist chilling ✓
4. D high field emergence in warm soil ✓

Seed priming is practiced to improve

1. A chromosome doubling in seedlings ✓
2. B seed coat color only ✓
3. C legal ownership of varieties ✓
4. D speed and uniformity of germination ✓

Seed vigour refers to the potential of seed to perform well under

1. A a wide range of field conditions ✓
2. B laboratory light only ✓
3. C one fixed storage container ✓
4. D zero oxygen conditions ✓

Electrical conductivity test of seed leachate is commonly used to assess

1. A floral biology ✓
2. B soil pH status ✓
3. C membrane integrity and seed vigour ✓
4. D seed certification fee ✓

The accelerated ageing test is mainly a test of seed

1. A protein classification ✓
2. B storability and vigour ✓
3. C pollen sterility ✓
4. D field isolation distance ✓

In seed processing, air-screen cleaners separate seed mainly on the basis of

1. A DNA sequence only ✓
2. B enzyme activity only ✓
3. C flowering date only ✓
4. D size and aerodynamic properties ✓

Gravity separators are especially useful for separating seeds that differ in

1. A petal color only ✓
2. B specific weight or density ✓
3. C number of cotyledons only ✓
4. D legal certification class only ✓

Seed treatment with fungicide before sowing is mainly intended to control

1. A seed-borne and soil-borne fungal diseases ✓
2. B photoperiod sensitivity ✓
3. C hybrid sterility ✓
4. D grain price fluctuation ✓

Hot water treatment of seed is commonly used when the target pathogen is

1. A a rodent in the field ✓
2. B a nutrient deficiency in soil ✓
3. C inside the seed or closely associated with it ✓
4. D a weed growing between rows ✓

The pure live seed percentage is calculated from

1. A seed moisture percentage plus inert matter percentage ✓
2. B field emergence divided by seed rate only ✓
3. C test weight multiplied by seed price ✓
4. D physical purity percentage multiplied by germination percentage divided by 100 ✓

A representative submitted seed sample should be obtained by

1. A combining primary samples from different containers or positions ✓
2. B taking seed only from the top bag ✓
3. C selecting only the largest seeds by hand ✓
4. D using harvested grain from a neighboring field ✓

In seed testing, inert matter includes

1. A normal seedlings only ✓
2. B soil particles, broken stems and non-seed fragments ✓
3. C pure seed of the named variety ✓
4. D viable embryos only ✓

A seed lot is best defined as a specified quantity of seed that is

1. A always harvested from two unrelated crops ✓
2. B sold without any label ✓
3. C reasonably uniform and identified by a lot number ✓
4. D stored only in open sunlight ✓

The term genetic purity in seed technology means conformity to the characteristics of the

1. A nearest weed species ✓
2. B soil type at harvest ✓
3. C processing machine brand ✓
4. D specified variety or hybrid ✓

Field inspection in seed certification is conducted to check

1. A only the color of storage bags ✓
2. B only market demand for grain ✓
3. C isolation, off-types, weeds, diseases and crop condition ✓
4. D only moisture in irrigation water ✓

The foundation seed class is produced from

1. A breeder seed under certification standards ✓
2. B uncertified grain from local markets ✓
3. C certified seed after three farmer cycles ✓
4. D weed seed collected from field borders ✓

Truthfully labelled seed differs from certified seed because it is

1. A always genetically superior to breeder seed ✓
2. B labelled by the producer without formal certification agency approval ✓
3. C never tested for germination ✓
4. D produced only in government farms ✓

In hybrid seed production, detasseling is a common operation in

1. A wheat ✓
2. B rice bean mixtures ✓
3. C cotton lint processing ✓
4. D maize ✓

Male sterility in seed production is useful because it helps

1. A avoid self-pollination in female lines ✓
2. B increase seed moisture at harvest ✓
3. C convert weed seed into crop seed ✓
4. D remove need for isolation completely ✓

The restorer line in cytoplasmic male sterile hybrid systems is used to

1. A maintain sterility in the A line only ✓
2. B restore fertility in the hybrid seed crop ✓
3. C reduce seed germination below standard ✓
4. D replace seed drying after harvest ✓

Moisture content of seed for safe storage is commonly measured on a

1. A leaf area basis ✓
2. B root volume basis ✓
3. C pollen count basis ✓
4. D fresh weight basis ✓

For most cereals, harvesting seed at physiological maturity is desirable because

1. A all seed-borne pathogens have disappeared ✓
2. B seed moisture is always zero ✓
3. C maximum dry matter accumulation has been reached ✓
4. D grain can no longer respire ✓

Seed hardening generally means exposing seed to controlled hydration and drying to improve

1. A field establishment under stress ✓
2. B flower color uniformity ✓
3. C legal variety registration ✓
4. D seed coat thickness only ✓

Seed pelleting is most useful for

1. A harvesting green fodder only ✓
2. B measuring chromosome number ✓
3. C small, irregular or difficult-to-sow seeds ✓
4. D increasing weed seed contamination ✓

Seed coating with inoculant is particularly important in legume seed production to promote

1. A self-incompatibility breakdown ✓
2. B biological nitrogen fixation ✓
3. C loss of seed viability ✓
4. D formation of seedless fruit ✓

Seed deterioration during storage is usually accelerated by

1. A low humidity and cool temperature ✓
2. B sealed moisture-proof packaging after drying ✓
3. C low oxygen with dry seed ✓
4. D high moisture and high temperature ✓

The Harrington rule of thumb for seed storage relates seed life mainly to

1. A row spacing and fertilizer dose ✓
2. B seed moisture and storage temperature ✓
3. C pollen shape and stigma color ✓
4. D field slope and irrigation interval ✓

The main objective of seed drying before storage is to reduce

1. A respiration and microbial activity ✓
2. B genetic purity of the lot ✓
3. C seed size below legal limit ✓
4. D embryo formation in mature seed ✓

A seed health test is designed to detect

1. A grain market price only ✓
2. B number of bags in a warehouse ✓
3. C pathogens associated with seed lots ✓
4. D tractor fuel consumption ✓

The grow-out test is especially useful for determining

1. A oil content of seed only ✓
2. B moisture content within minutes ✓
3. C density of inert matter ✓
4. D genetic purity and off-type plants ✓

In seed multiplication, the lowest multiplication ratio is usually kept for

1. A early generation breeder or foundation seed ✓
2. B bulk grain sold for feed ✓
3. C uncertified market seed ✓
4. D weed seed mixtures ✓

Seed testing laboratories commonly follow rules and procedures developed by

1. A the World Meteorological Organization only ✓
2. B the International Seed Testing Association ✓
3. C the International Monetary Fund ✓
4. D the Universal Postal Union ✓

A seed crop is rejected for certification when it exceeds prescribed limits for

1. A off-types or objectionable weeds ✓
2. B uniform plant height only ✓
3. C high thousand seed weight ✓
4. D low number of bags ✓

The purpose of seed grading is to improve

1. A the number of chromosomes in seed ✓
2. B uniformity and planting value of the seed lot ✓
3. C rainfall in the production field ✓
4. D flower fragrance of the variety ✓

Seed invigoration treatments are primarily intended to enhance

1. A legal patent duration ✓
2. B seed coat color for display ✓
3. C germination rate and seedling performance ✓
4. D field isolation distance ✓

The best stage for roguing off-types in many seed crops is

1. A only after seed packaging ✓
2. B only during seed frying ✓
3. C after certification labels are printed ✓
4. D before flowering and again before harvest ✓