Agronomy

At its simplest, seed is simply an embryonic plant encased in its seed coat covering along with some stored food. Seeds general meaning is of any thing which can be sown or planted. It is from seed that, under the correct conditions, tiny plants form and grow to produce grains, feed, flowers, vegetables, etc.

The majority of our diets are composed of calories from seed, especially from nuts, legumes and cereals like wheat, barley and bran. Most cooking oils, many beverages and spices also come from seeds.

Not all seeds are edible, in fact one of the deadliest poisons in the world, ricin, comes from the seed of the castor bean.

On the other hand, the worlds most import fiber, cotton, comes from cotton seeds.

As well as for food and clothing, products from seed are being investigated and used for the worlds energy needs through the biofuel industry.

The selective breeding for the improvement of plants is a central them in advances in agronomy. And a controversial one as well.

Hybrid Seed

Technically, hybrid seed has been produced through artifically cross-pollinated plants bred to improve characteristics of the plant such as better yield, diseases resistance, etc. Since the first commercial use of hybrid seeds in the 1920s agricultural output has shown a dramatic rise.

GM Seed

GM, genetically modified, seed has been modified at the gene level to improve, modify or add characteristics to the seed such as pest and disease resistance, herbicide tolerance, increase nutritional value phytoremediation and other characteristics.

Unprecedented population growth on the planet has forced the need to provide more food. Over the past 80 years agriculture has responded by growing more crops with higher yields to satisfy a hungry world. Over the coming years hybridization and genetic modification of crops will continue in order to provide more nutritious, disease and pest resistant crops more efficiently in order to keep food production economical.