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Seed analysis

Seed quality

The Seed Analysis Laboratory tests the quality of seed used to produce flowers, trees, vegetables and herbs. Tests for germinating power, purity, moisture content, tetrazolium tests and weed determination are performed under ISTA accreditation.
The Usable Plant Test is also regularly carried out for tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucurbits, lettuce and cabbage. This test is more related to practice.

Testing for nematodes

Nematodes can cause extensive damage in crops. Preventive testing of soil, seed and propagating material can prevent this. Naktuinbouw can test for various plant parasitic nematodes, including Xiphinema and Longidorus species in soil. These types of tests are also carried out for the quality mark Elite for strawberries.

In order to trade onion sets and onion seed, a declaration stating that the material is free of stem nematodes (Ditylenchus dipsaci) is required. For certain export destinations, other crops also require a similar declaration. Naktuinbouw can offer this service. For more information, please contact the team administration dept. Laboratories.

Naktuinbouw use an Oostenbrink elutriator to separate all free living nematodes from the soil and analyse them. This is one of the requirements of the quality mark Select Plant for strawberries. Before this quality mark is awarded, soil used for strawberries must be tested for the presence of Xiphinema spp. and Longidorus spp.

Testing can also reveal nematodes, including stem nematodes (Ditylenchus dipsaci) in onion sets and onion seed. A misting device is used to extract the nematodes from propagating material and seed. This method uses the motility and sedimentation speed of the nematodes. If infected propagating material or seed is placed in water, the nematodes crawl out of the material in the water and sink, after which analysis takes place.

The Seed Analysis Laboratory can identify the following nematodes:

  • Aphelenchoides spp.
  • Aphelenchus spp.
  • Ditylenchus spp. (stem nematode)
  • Hemicycliophora spp.
  • Heterodera larvae
  • Longidorus spp.
  • Meloidogyne spp. (root-knot nematode)
  • Paratylenchus spp.
  • Pratylenchus spp. (root lesion nematode)
  • Rotylenchus spp.
  • Trichodorus spp. (dagger nematodes)
  • Xiphinema spp.

Contact
For more information you can contact Seed Analysis