Which structures make up a typical angiosperm seed?
A Embryo, food reserve, seed coat
B Root, stem, and flower
C Pollen, ovary, and stigma
D Leaf, petiole, and bud
Answer: A. Embryo, food reserve, seed coat. A typical seed contains an embryo, stored food in one or more tissues, and a protective seed coat.
What is the main role of a seed coat?
A Absorb minerals from leaves
B Make food through photosynthesis
C Protect the seed contents
D Attract pollinating insects
Answer: C. Protect the seed contents. The seed coat protects the embryo and stored reserves from damage and environmental exposure.
Which embryonic part usually develops into the primary root?
A Cotyledon
B Endosperm
C Plumule
D Radicle
Answer: D. Radicle. The radicle is the embryonic root and commonly emerges first during germination.
Which embryonic part develops into the shoot?
A Radicle
B Plumule
C Seed coat
D Micropyle
Answer: B. Plumule. The plumule is the embryonic shoot, which develops into the stem and leaves.
How many cotyledons are typical in a monocot seed?
A Four
B One
C Two
D Three
Answer: B. One. Monocotyledonous plants characteristically have one cotyledon in the embryo.
In many seeds, which tissue stores food?
A Endosperm
B Anther
C Sepal
D Stigma
Answer: A. Endosperm. In many seeds the endosperm stores nutrients, although some mature seeds store much of their food in cotyledons.
What does germination describe?
A Formation of pollen grains
B Resumption of embryo growth
C Ripening of harvested fruit
D Release of seed from storage
Answer: B. Resumption of embryo growth. Germination is the resumption of growth in a viable seed under suitable conditions.
Water uptake by a dry seed is called what?
A Stratification
B Pollination
C Transpiration
D Imbibition
Answer: D. Imbibition. Imbibition is the initial physical absorption of water by dry seed tissues.
Which gas do most germinating seeds need for respiration?
A Methane
B Neon
C Oxygen
D Helium
Answer: C. Oxygen. Most seeds require oxygen for respiration as the embryo becomes metabolically active.
Why is respiration important during germination?
A It creates the seed coat
B It releases usable energy
C It replaces the embryo
D It stops water uptake
Answer: B. It releases usable energy. Respiration releases energy from stored food to support early growth.
Which conditions commonly support seed germination?
A Carbon dioxide and dry soil
B Salt, darkness, and pressure
C Wind, fertilizer, and light
D Water, oxygen, suitable temperature
Answer: D. Water, oxygen, suitable temperature. Water, oxygen, and a suitable temperature are common requirements; light needs vary by species.
How can waterlogging inhibit germination?
A It limits oxygen supply
B It increases seed purity
C It prevents seed respiration
D It removes the seed coat
Answer: A. It limits oxygen supply. Water-filled pores can restrict oxygen diffusion to seeds and inhibit respiration.
Which structure often emerges first during germination?
A Plumule
B Cotyledon
C Endosperm
D Radicle
Answer: D. Radicle. In typical germination, the radicle emerges before the shoot structures.
In epigeal germination, where do cotyledons move?
A Along the flower stalk
B Deep below the roots
C Above the soil surface
D Inside the seed coat
Answer: C. Above the soil surface. In epigeal germination, hypocotyl elongation carries cotyledons above the soil surface.
Where do cotyledons remain during hypogeal germination?
A Below the soil surface
B Inside the flower
C On the seed stalk
D Above the first leaves
Answer: A. Below the soil surface. In hypogeal germination, cotyledons stay below the soil while the shoot emerges.
When a viable seed fails to germinate under favorable conditions, what may explain this?
A Seed purity
B Seed dormancy
C Seed coating
D Seed dispersal
Answer: B. Seed dormancy. Dormancy is a condition in which a viable seed does not germinate even when some conditions appear favorable.
Which treatment may help a hard, water-impermeable seed coat?
A Roguing
B Scarification
C Pollination
D Thinning
Answer: B. Scarification. Scarification weakens or breaks a hard seed coat so water can enter; methods must suit the species.
What is cold, moist treatment called when used to release dormancy?
A Stratification
B Roguing
C Pelleting
D Imbibition
Answer: A. Stratification. Stratification exposes seeds to controlled moist conditions, often cool temperatures, to overcome certain dormancy types.
Why should dormancy-breaking treatments be species-specific?
A All seeds share identical dormancy
B Every seed needs light
C Treatments can harm seeds
D Dormancy always disappears in water
Answer: C. Treatments can harm seeds. The dormancy mechanism differs among species, so an unsuitable treatment may fail or damage seed.
What does seed viability indicate?
A Harvest date
B Seed color uniformity
C Container size
D Capacity to germinate
Answer: D. Capacity to germinate. Viability indicates whether a seed is alive and capable of germinating under appropriate conditions.
How does seed vigor differ from a simple germination percentage?
A Field performance under stressful conditions
B Variety identity in a field
C Moisture content at harvest
D Physical purity by weight
Answer: A. Field performance under stressful conditions. Vigor describes the potential for rapid, uniform emergence and seedling development, including under less-than-ideal conditions.
What does a standard germination test generally count?
A Damaged seed coats
B Normal seedlings
C All inert matter
D Only dormant seeds
Answer: B. Normal seedlings. Standard germination results are based on normal seedlings produced under prescribed test conditions.
Why is a representative seed sample important?
A It removes every pathogen
B It changes seed genetics
C It increases seed weight
D It reflects the whole lot
Answer: D. It reflects the whole lot. A representative sample allows laboratory results to estimate the quality of the larger seed lot.
Why mix a bulk seed lot before sampling?
A Break all dormancy
B Raise its moisture
C Improve sample representativeness
D Increase the seed’s age
Answer: C. Improve sample representativeness. Mixing helps distribute components before drawing a sample for quality assessment.
Which quality measure checks whether seed matches its named variety?
A Moisture content
B Seed weight
C Genetic purity
D Physical cleanliness
Answer: C. Genetic purity. Genetic or varietal purity concerns identity and conformity to the named variety.
What does physical purity analysis separate?
A Pure seed and impurities
B Water and oxygen
C Embryos and cotyledons
D Roots and shoots
Answer: A. Pure seed and impurities. Physical purity analysis separates pure seed from inert matter and other seed components in a sample.
What can seed health testing detect?
A Soil texture classes
B Seed-borne pathogens
C Harvest market prices
D Seedling row spacing
Answer: B. Seed-borne pathogens. Seed health testing checks for pathogens or other harmful organisms carried with seed.
Why might a seed lot germinate well in a lab but perform poorly in a field?
A Excessive genetic purity
B Too much seed labeling
C High physical cleanliness
D Low vigor under field stress
Answer: D. Low vigor under field stress. A lot can show acceptable laboratory germination yet have low vigor and struggle under field stresses.
How can low seed vigor affect crop establishment?
A Plants need no water
B Seeds gain greater purity
C Dormancy disappears permanently
D Seedlings become stress-sensitive
Answer: D. Seedlings become stress-sensitive. Low-vigor seedlings can be more vulnerable to drought, compaction, and soil-borne pathogens.
Which storage conditions usually slow seed deterioration?
A Cool, dry conditions
B Direct sun and humidity
C Repeated wetting and heating
D Warm, damp conditions
Answer: A. Cool, dry conditions. For many seeds, lower moisture and cooler storage help preserve viability; exact requirements vary by species.
Why monitor seed moisture during storage?
A It controls varietal identity
B It creates more embryos
C High moisture speeds deterioration
D It measures row spacing
Answer: C. High moisture speeds deterioration. Excess seed moisture can accelerate aging and increase risks such as fungal growth.
What is typical of orthodox seeds?
A They lack an embryo
B They tolerate drying
C They cannot be dried
D They germinate only underwater
Answer: B. They tolerate drying. Orthodox seeds generally tolerate substantial drying and can often be stored at low moisture.
Recalcitrant seeds are especially sensitive to what?
A Dry labeling
B Desiccation during storage
C Row planting
D Normal seed sampling
Answer: B. Desiccation during storage. Recalcitrant seeds cannot tolerate the drying levels used for orthodox seed storage.
What causes seed longevity to vary widely?
A Container label font
B Farm boundary length
C Species and storage conditions
D Market opening hours
Answer: C. Species and storage conditions. Longevity depends on species, initial seed quality, maturity, handling, and storage environment.
Why retest seed that has been stored for a long time?
A Viability may have declined
B Seeds gain new dormancy
C Variety names always change
D Purity becomes genetic
Answer: A. Viability may have declined. Seed quality can deteriorate during storage, so germination or viability should be checked before use.
What is a seed lot in quality testing?
A A field irrigation schedule
B A crop rotation sequence
C A single seed embryo
D An identifiable quantity of seed
Answer: D. An identifiable quantity of seed. A seed lot is an identifiable quantity treated as a unit for sampling, testing, and reporting.
Which sequence shows common Indian seed multiplication classes?
A Certified, nucleus, breeder, foundation
B Foundation, certified, nucleus, breeder
C Nucleus, breeder, foundation, certified
D Breeder, certified, nucleus, foundation
Answer: C. Nucleus, breeder, foundation, certified. The common multiplication sequence proceeds from nucleus seed to breeder, foundation, and certified seed.
Breeder seed is primarily used to produce which class?
A Stored grain
B Foundation seed
C Certified seed directly
D Truthfully labelled seed
Answer: B. Foundation seed. Breeder seed is the source from which foundation seed is produced.
Foundation seed is generally produced from which seed class?
A Grain for consumption
B Unlabelled market seed
C Certified seed only
D Breeder seed
Answer: D. Breeder seed. Foundation seed is generally the progeny of breeder seed under prescribed production controls.
Certified seed generally derives from which class?
A Foundation seed
B Stored grain
C Unselected weeds
D Food-grade produce
Answer: A. Foundation seed. Certified seed is generally produced from foundation seed and must meet applicable certification standards.
In Indian seed certification, what color marks certified seed?
A Azure blue
B Opal green
C White
D Golden yellow
Answer: A. Azure blue. Indian certification standards use an azure-blue certification tag for certified seed.
Which tag color identifies foundation seed in India?
A Black
B Red
C White
D Azure blue
Answer: C. White. Foundation seed carries a white certification tag under Indian standards.
What color is the Indian breeder seed label?
A White
B Golden yellow
C Azure blue
D Opal green
Answer: B. Golden yellow. The Indian breeder seed label is golden yellow; foundation and certified tags use different colors.
Why are seed production fields isolated from nearby varieties?
A Raise soil salinity
B Increase seed moisture
C Delay seedling emergence
D Reduce unwanted cross-pollination
Answer: D. Reduce unwanted cross-pollination. Isolation reduces genetic contamination from cross-pollination and helps maintain varietal identity.
Roguing in a seed field removes which plants?
A Every flowering plant
B Off-type plants
C Plants of the named variety
D All healthy seedlings
Answer: B. Off-type plants. Roguing removes plants that do not conform to the variety, helping preserve genetic purity.
How can mechanical mixing affect a seed lot?
A It raises seed viability
B It removes dormant seeds
C It improves genetic purity
D It introduces other varieties
Answer: D. It introduces other varieties. Mixing with another variety during harvesting or processing can compromise varietal purity.
Why label seed containers with the collection date?
A Track storage age
B Measure crop yield
C Change the seed class
D Prevent all deterioration
Answer: A. Track storage age. A dated label helps identify how long seed has been stored and when retesting may be useful.
Which practice supports safer storage for many dry seeds?
A Repeated open-air soaking
B Direct sun on containers
C Cool, dry, sealed storage
D Warm, humid exposure
Answer: C. Cool, dry, sealed storage. Dry, cool, sealed storage can limit moisture uptake and slow deterioration for many species.
If a test produces 80 normal seedlings from 100 seeds, what is germination?
A 20 percent
B 40 percent
C 80 percent
D 100 percent
Answer: C. 80 percent. Germination percentage is 80 normal seedlings divided by 100 seeds, multiplied by 100.
When a seed lot has high purity but poor germination, what does this show?
A Purity cannot ensure viability
B Viability means physical cleanliness
C Purity guarantees field emergence
D Germination measures seed color
Answer: A. Purity cannot ensure viability. A clean lot can still contain seeds that are not viable; purity and germination are distinct quality attributes.