Seed Process Engineering

Seed processing and its importance, principles of seed processing, seed industry and seed acts; Development of seed industry in India, Preparing seed for processing; Seed conditioning machines. Debearder machines, Hand and power operated shelling machines; Seed cleaning, grading and separating machines& their design.

Seed drying, natural and mechanical, dryers for seeds. Types & operation and maintenance of seed dryers; Seed cleaning; different type of air-screen cleaning/ separating machines, Seed grading; different types of seed graders such as length and breadth separators, disc separators, Indented cylinder separator, gravity separator; De-stoner; Air classifier Magnetic separators, colour separators and operation, care & maintenance of cleaners and graders.

Seed treatment; types of treatment, methods and related equipments such as liquid treaters, slurry treaters, dust and fumigants, precautions regarding the seed treatment and ISI recommendations; Seed packaging, stitching and bag closing machines, automatic weighing machines and tagging etc.

Seed storage; principles of seed storage, storage structures; Dehumidifiers to control temp, RH and moisture, changes in seed quality during storage. CAP storage of hermetically sealed storages; Grain bins and silos, drying-cum-storage bins and their design.

Seed conveyors; bucket elevators, belt conveyors, screw conveyors, trucks Wagons; Repair and maintenance of different types of conveying devices; Seed plant layout design and construction. Objectives and concepts of seed certification; seed certification agencies, minimum seed certification standards for breeder's seed, certified seeds, field and seed inspection, methods of inspection, Post harvest inspection seed legislation loess.