1 Identification of seeds

STUDY ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF SEED

Mirza Hasanuzzaman, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Agronomy
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University
E-mail: mhzsauag@yahoo.com

Introduction
It is sometime a difficult job to identify a seed of a crop species, especially seeds of different varieties.
To maintain the national and international standard of laboratory or a seed technologist it is required
to identify the seeds of different plant species, or varieties accurately. The media used to sustain and
multiply plant species are called seed. Seed is also called propagule. Seed may also be defined as
follows:

This hand-out is not an alternative of Class Lectures or Books:: FOR STUDENTS' USE ONLY

A. Botanical Seed: Fertilized and mature ovule containing an embryo in a dormant state is known
as botanical seed. It is also called true seed. e.g., rice seed, wheat seed, maize seed etc.
B. Agricultural Seed: Any part of the plant, whether vegetative or reproductive, having the capability
of producing new offspring of its own type under suitable condition is called agricultural seed. e.g.,
rice seed, wheat seed, maize seed, stem of sugarcane, tuber of potato, sucker of banana,
pineapple crown etc.
The main objective of this experiment is to identify only the botanical seeds of different agronomic
crops based on their external morphology, i.e., based on the seed size, shape, colour, presence or
absence of special appendages, etc.
The seeds of one crop species can easily be identified from that of other crop species. But seeds
belonging to the same crop species need careful observation on their size, shape, colour etc. for
identification.
I. Cereal crops:
Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Common name
Dhan
Gom
Bhutta
Sorghum
Kaon
Cheena
Jab
Bajra
Jai

English name
Rice
Wheat
Maize
Sorghum
Foxtail millet
Proso millet
Barley
Pearl millet
Oat

Scientific name
Oryza sativa
Triticum aestivum
Zea mays
Sorghum bicolor
Setaria italica
Pannicum miliaceum
Hordeum vulgare
Pennisetum glaucum
Avena sativa

English name
Lentil
Mungbean
Grasspea
Chickpea
Blackgram
Fieldpea
Cowpea
Pigeonpea

Scientific name
Lens culinaris
Vigna radiata
Lathyrus sativus
Cicer arietinum
Vigna mungo
Pisum sativum
Vigna unguiculata
Cajanas cajan

Family
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)

II. Pulse crops:

Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Common name
Masur
Mug
Khesari
Chhola
Maskali
Matar
Felon
Arahar

Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Family
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Also available at: www.hasanuzzaman.webs.com

2 Identification of seeds

9.

Jhar Sheem

Bushbean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

III. Oil yielding crops:

Sl. No.

Common name

1.

Sarisha

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Til
Surjamukhe
Cheenababam
Tishi
Kusumful
Garjan til
Soybean
Venna

English name

Mustard
Sesame
Sunflower
Ground nut
Linseed
Safflower
Niger
Soybean
Castor

Scientific name
Brassica campestris
Brassica napus
Brassica juncea
Sesamum indicum
Helianthus annuus
Arachis hypogaea
Linum usitatissimum
Carthamus tinctorius
Guizotia abyssinica
Glycine max
Ricinus communis

Family
Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Pedaliaceae
Asteraceae (Compositae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Linaceae
Asteraceae (Compositae)
Asteraceae (Compositae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Euphorbiaceae

English name
Jute
Jute
Cotton
Kenaf
Mesta
Sunnhemp

Scientific name
Corchorus capsularis
Corchorus olitorius
Gossypium hirsutum
Hibiscus cannabinus
Hibiscaus sabdariffa
Crotalaria juncea

Family
Sterculiaceae (Tiliaceae)
Sterculiaceae (Tiliaceae)
Sterculiaceae (Malvaceae)
Sterculiaceae (Malvaceae)
Sterculiaceae (Malvaceae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

English name
Napier grass
Para grass
Sorghum
Pearl millet
Maize
Oat
Cowpea

Scientific name
Pennisetum purpureum
Panicum purpurascens
Sorghum bicolor
Pennisetum glaucum
Zea mays
Avena sativa
Vigna unguiculata

Rapeseed

This hand-out is not an alternative of Class Lectures or Books:: FOR STUDENTS' USE ONLY

IV. Fibre crops:

Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Common name
Deshi pat
Tosa pat
Tula
Kenaf
Meshta
San pat

V. Fodder crops:
Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Common name
Napier ghash
Para ghash
Sorghum
Bajra
Bhutta
Jai
Felon

Family
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

VI. Green manuring crops

Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Common name
Dhaincha
Dhaincha (African)
Sanpat
Felon

English name
Dhaincha
Dhaincha (Wild)
Sunhemp
Cowpea

Scientific name
Sesbania aculeata
Sesbania rostrata
Crotalaria juncea
Vigna unguiculata

Family
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

English name
Dhaincha
Dhaincha (Wild)

Scientific name
Sesbania aculeata
Sesbania rostrata

Family
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

English name
Sugarcane

Scientific name
Saccharum officinarum

VII. Fuel crops:

Sl. No.
1.
2.

Common name
Dhaincha
Dhaincha (African)

VIII. Sugar crops:

Sl. No.
1.

Common name
Akh

Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Family
Poaceae (Gramineae)

Also available at: www.hasanuzzaman.webs.com

3 Identification of seeds

2.

Beet

Sugarbeet

Beta vulgaris

English name
Tea
Coffee
Cocoa

Scientific name
Camellia sinensis
Coffea arabica
Theobroma cacao

Family
Theaceae
Rubiaceae
Sterculiaceae (Malvaceae)

English name
Tobacco
Canabis

Scientific name
Nicotiana tabacum
Cannabis sativa

Family
Solanaceae
Cannabaceae

Chenopodiaceae

IX. Beverage crops

Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.

Common name
Cha
Coffee
Coco

X. Narcotic crops
Sl. No.
1.
2.

Common name
Tamak
Ganja

This hand-out is not an alternative of Class Lectures or Books:: FOR STUDENTS' USE ONLY

Suggested Readings:
Agrawal, R.L. (1995) Seed technology. Oxford & IBH Publishing Company Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Basra, A.S. (2006) Handbook of Seed Science and Technology. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Copeland, L.O. and McDonald, M.F (1995) Principles of Seed Science and Technology. Springer,
Berlin

Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Also available at: www.hasanuzzaman.webs.com