Seed quality enhancement techniques in medicinal and aromatic crops

Abstract

Indians have been using the Ayurvedic (medicinal and aromatic crops) systems of medicine for many generations and they contain one or more substances that can be used for therapeutic, aromatic and/or culinary purposes as components of cosmetics, medicinal products, health foods and other natural health products. Seed quality plays an important role in the production of medicinal and aromatic crops unlike in others as these crops possess seed dormancy and seed inhibitors thus possessing reduced seed quality. These associated seed inhibitors also are known to decrease the viability during seed storage resulting in their poor storability. In this scenario “seed enhancement” through various techniques offer a great potential in getting success full seed germination and optimum field establishment thus enhancing the quality of the product and production of these commercially important crops. The central objective of such enhancement techniques is to further improve seed performance by treating with specific additives/chemical/organics/botanicals etc. under very specific regimes.