The international training course “Rice Production Technologies for Food Security and Sustainability of African Countries 2026 Batch 3,” organized by The Office of Extension and Training Kamphaengsaen, Kasetsart University, in collaboration with JICA and TICA, continues to drive impactful capacity building.

 

Under the topic “Seed Production and Quality Testing” led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Juthamas Romkaew from the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture at Kamphaeng Saen, trainees explored comprehensive seed management workflows, ranging from production planning and genetic purity maintenance to optimal harvesting windows, post-processing, and safe storage strategies.

 

Participants also engaged in essential laboratory techniques conforming to international ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) standards, covering:

Seed Sampling: Ensuring accurate and representative lot testing procedures.

Moisture Content Test: Monitoring moisture levels to maintain viability during storage.

Physical Purity Test: Evaluating proportions of pure seeds, weed seeds, and inert matter.

 

Germination Test: Determining maximum germination potential under controlled conditions.

Seed Vigor & Tetrazolium Test: Utilizing Accelerated Aging (AA) and Tetrazolium (TZ) staining methods to assess seed vigor and living tissue viability.

 

Following the sessions, the Recap & Reflection segment featured Mr. Musa Ibrahim, a representative from Nigeria, who shared valuable insights on seed administration, aligning the training concepts with the role of Nigeria’s National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) in governing seed systems and certifying rice seeds to boost sustainable agricultural productivity.