Herbaceous plant seed collection and preservation methods
If you want to know the small experience of herbaceous flowers, the collection and preservation methods of herbaceous plant seeds, the following is a detailed introduction.
I. Post-harvest processing
1. Clean and select the seeds of flowers after harvest. The seeds must be cleaned after collection. The whole plant should be dried before threshing, and the fruit skin, flesh, and various appendages should be removed if collected with the fruit. Flower seeds are small and light in weight, some with villous or short spines on the seed coat, which can easily adhere or mix with living impurities such as sclerotia, galls, insect eggs, and weed seeds, as well as non-living impurities such as residual leaves and sand.
2. Proper drying. After harvesting, herbaceous flower seeds that need to be dried should be dried with the fruit shell. Do not place seeds on concrete drying grounds or in metal containers in direct sunlight, as this can affect the viability of the seeds. Seeds can be dried on canvas,苇席, or bamboo mats. Some seeds are light-sensitive and can be dried using natural air-drying methods, which means placing the seeds in a well-ventilated and rain-free room to dry naturally. The safe moisture content for most herbaceous flower seeds is below 7%.
II. Key points of storage technology
1. Choose the correct packaging method. Flower seeds are usually in small quantities, have a short lifespan, and are expensive, so most of the time, they are packaged in polyethylene aluminum foil composite film bags, with an outer layer of paper seed bags. Aromatic oil-containing flower seeds should be stored in metal cans, wooden boxes, or colored glass bottles. Canned seeds and aluminum foil bags can be vacuumed or semi-vacuumed when sealed to reduce the amount of oxygen in the container. The seed bags should be correctly labeled with the seed name, date of collection, and expiration date.
2. Low-temperature and moisture-proof storage. Seeds that have been cleaned and dried to a safe moisture content and packaged in aluminum foil bags or metal cans should be stored in a dry, sealed, and low-temperature (2-5°C) environment. Seed bags or cans should be placed on a shelf or platform about 50 cm above the ground, avoiding direct contact with the ground to prevent moisture absorption. A small amount of seeds can be stored in a desiccator. The desiccator can be made of a glass bottle, a small-mouthed jar with a lid, a plastic bucket, etc., with the bottom filled with quicklime, silica gel, dry plant ash, or charcoal as a desiccant, and the seed bags placed on top, then sealed and placed in a low-temperature and dry place.
III. The lifespan of herbaceous flower seeds
Seeds are alive, and the strength of their vitality and the length of their lifespan are closely related to the storage conditions. Seeds in warm, humid, and well-ventilated conditions have intense vital activities, quickly consume nutrients, and have a shorter lifespan. Seeds that have lost their viability cannot be used for seeding. Seeds in low-temperature, dry, and slowly circulating air conditions have slow vital activities and can have a relatively longer lifespan. Therefore, 1-2-year-old herbaceous flower seeds should be stored in low-temperature, dry, and sealed conditions. Seeds with a storage period of 1 year include Phlox, Kochia scoparia, and Primula; seeds with a storage period of 2-3 years include Clitoria ternatea, Eschscholzia californica, Viola tricolor, Marigold, California poppy, China pink, Chrysanthemum, Daisy,旱金莲, Sweet peas, Poppies, Clitoria ternatea, Salvia splendens, Helichrysum bracteatum, Goldfish grass, and centaurea cyanus; seeds with a storage period of 4-5 years include Poppies, Portulaca grandiflora, Zinnia, Sweet alyssum, Coreopsis tinctoria, Stock,矮牵牛, Celosia argentea, and Marigold.
IV. Management measures for flower seed storage
1. Clean and disinfect the warehouse. Remove garbage, fertilizers, and pesticides from the warehouse, and lay down asphalt paper as a moisture-proof layer to reduce the absorption of ground moisture by seeds. Spray with 80% dichlorvos emulsion and keep the windows and doors closed for 48-72 hours, then ventilate for 24 hours. Do not use smoke to fumigate the warehouse.
2. Proper stacking. Flower seeds come in many varieties and grades, but the quantity is usually not large. In the warehouse, they should be placed on a shelf or platform about 50 cm away from the wall and 50 cm above the ground, with tags indicating their location, quantity, and packaging to prevent mixing.
3. Timely ventilation. Seed respiration produces heat, and timely ventilation can reduce temperature and humidity. The principle is to "ventilate on sunny days, close on rainy days, not on snowy days, vent when water droplets freeze, open early and late, less at noon, and not when there is fog at night."
4. Regular inspections. The warehouse should be inspected in a timely manner, and the moisture content and germination rate of the seeds should be tested after the seeds have passed the summer or winter. Place temperature and humidity gauges at multiple points in different parts of the warehouse, assign personnel to measure at fixed times, and keep records. It is essential to maintain a low-temperature and low-humidity environment for storing flower seeds to prevent mold or reduced germination rates.
The above[] introduces the complete content of the collection and preservation methods of herbaceous plant seeds, which green plant enthusiasts can refer to.