Seed Health Studies and Crop Production in Bangladesh

Abstract

In Bangladesh only 5% of seeds used for crop production are produced by the government or semigovernment organizations. The rest (95%) of total requirements of the country are met by the farmers' seed of unknown quality with respect to health standard. As many as 490 seed-borne diseases affecting the seed health of 76 different important crops are established in the country and these cause yield losses amounting Taka 9500 million worth ($250 million) annually. Role of seed health on crop production; research on the seed health of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and fibre crops; teaching and training on seed health; and status of seed certification and quarantine in Bangladesh have been reviewed. Development of quick and cheap Earthern dish-newsprint technique, formation of seed health standards for major seed-borne diseases of important crops, detection methods, chemical and biological control of seed-borne pathogens by using chemicals and plant extracts have been described. Measures to overcome the problems are discussed in this article.