Seed Technology and Plant Breeding Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Plant Breeders, Seed Production Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-AA-048

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with crop production, plant biology or agricultural field operations.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Seed programmes succeed or fail on decisions made long before a bag reaches a farmer. Breeders must convert farmer and market needs into clear trait priorities, create and test suitable genetic material, and manage seed multiplication without losing varietal identity or viability. Seed producers and quality teams must also meet certification requirements, control contamination risks, interpret laboratory results and maintain traceable records. Weak links between breeding, production, testing and distribution can lead to poor adoption, rejected lots, unreliable supply and avoidable losses.

This course examines the full technical chain from breeding objectives and parent selection to field trials, seed production, processing, testing and certification. Participants work with target product profiles, pedigree and recurrent selection methods, experimental designs, selection indices, seed class systems, isolation requirements and laboratory test results. The course addresses self-pollinated, cross-pollinated, hybrid and vegetatively propagated crops, with examples relevant to cereals, legumes, vegetables and staple food crops.

Teaching combines concise technical briefings with case work, field-trial data interpretation, seed lot quality decisions, production planning and group analysis. Participants leave with a practical breeding and seed quality toolkit containing templates for breeding plans, trial protocols, seed production records and lot-release decisions. The course is suited to professionals working in public breeding programmes, commercial seed enterprises, agricultural research institutes, donor-funded food security projects and regulatory bodies.

The course is particularly useful where organisations are introducing improved varieties, strengthening national seed systems, establishing quality assurance processes or improving coordination between research, seed multiplication and farmer access.

What you will be able to do

  • Design target product profiles and breeding pipelines for priority crop varieties
  • Select appropriate breeding methods for self-pollinated, cross-pollinated and hybrid crops
  • Plan field trials using replication, randomisation, checks and suitable experimental designs
  • Interpret ANOVA, BLUP and stability outputs for genotype advancement decisions
  • Apply seed production controls for varietal identity, genetic purity and traceability
  • Evaluate seed lots using purity, germination, moisture, viability and health results
  • Prepare certification and quality records aligned with ISTA and OECD requirements
  • Develop seasonal breeding, seed multiplication and quality assurance action plans

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Confidence to translate farmer needs into measurable variety trait priorities
  • Practical ability to select breeding methods for different crop pollination systems
  • Improved judgement when interpreting field trial and seed laboratory results
  • Working knowledge of seed certification records, inspections and lot-release decisions
  • Reusable planning tools for breeding cycles, multiplication seasons and quality control

For your organisation

  • Better alignment between breeding objectives, farmer demand and commercial seed supply
  • Fewer rejected seed lots through stronger isolation, roguing and traceability controls
  • More defensible variety advancement decisions using trial design and statistical evidence
  • Improved compliance with seed certification, testing and labelling requirements
  • Clearer coordination between breeders, seed producers, laboratories and distribution teams

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can map seed supply systems and identify controls required from breeder seed through certified seed distribution.

  • Seed systems mapped from breeder seed through certified seed distribution
  • Formal, informal and community-based seed channels compared using supply evidence
  • Variety release requirements linked to national seed regulatory authorities
  • Seed class definitions distinguished: nucleus, breeder, foundation, registered and certified
  • Demand estimates derived from cropped area, seeding rates and replacement ratios
  • Seed value chains assessed for quality risks, margins and access

Participants can relate genetic variation and inheritance patterns to practical breeding decisions.

  • Mendelian segregation ratios calculated for single-gene and two-gene traits
  • Genotype, phenotype and environmental variance separated in trial interpretation
  • Heritability estimates used to set selection intensity and testing stages
  • Additive, dominance and epistatic effects related to breeding decisions
  • Hybrid vigour explained through heterosis, combining ability and parental lines
  • Gene banks and pre-breeding sources evaluated for useful variation

Participants can build a breeding plan that links product requirements, parent choice and selection methods.

  • Target product profiles specify users, traits, environments and market requirements
  • Breeding objectives ranked using trait priorities, thresholds and selection indices
  • Crossing blocks designed around parent choice, flowering synchrony and isolation
  • Pedigree, bulk and single-seed descent methods matched to crop biology
  • Recurrent selection planned for population improvement and broad-based adaptation
  • Backcross schemes constructed for introgressing single traits into elite cultivars
  • Breeding pipeline stages scheduled from crossing through release and maintenance

Participants can plan and manage field trials that produce reliable varietal performance data.

  • Experimental units, replications and randomisation specified for field trial designs
  • RCBD, alpha-lattice and augmented designs selected for available seed quantities
  • Plot dimensions, border rows and checks managed to limit field variation
  • BBCH growth stages used to standardise crop observation timing
  • Trait descriptors recorded using scales, protocols and electronic field books
  • ANOVA outputs interpreted for genotype effects, error variance and mean separation
  • GGE biplots and stability measures compared across locations and seasons

Participants can use selection criteria and trial evidence to advance, retain or discard breeding material.

  • Selection differentials calculated from population means and chosen parent performance
  • BLUP predictions used to rank genotypes across unbalanced multi-environment trials
  • Selection indices combine yield, quality, resistance and maturity trait weights
  • Marker-assisted selection positioned for major genes and diagnostic markers
  • Genomic selection distinguished from phenotypic selection by prediction models
  • Independent culling levels applied where minimum trait thresholds govern advancement

Participants can adapt breeding and evaluation approaches to different crop reproductive systems.

  • Self-pollinated crop schemes manage inbreeding, line fixation and purity
  • Cross-pollinated population breeding maintains effective population size and diversity
  • Hybrid seed production plans define female, male and restorer lines
  • Male sterility systems compared: cytoplasmic, genic and chemically induced
  • Vegetatively propagated crops handled through clonal selection and virus indexing
  • Participatory variety selection incorporates farmer criteria, gender and local adaptation

Participants can plan seed multiplication fields and apply controls that protect varietal purity.

  • Field selection criteria address previous crops, isolation distance and volunteer plants
  • Isolation standards applied for self-pollinated, cross-pollinated and hybrid seed crops
  • Roguing procedures remove off-types, diseased plants and objectionable weeds
  • Crop inspections document varietal identity, genetic purity and field history
  • Harvest timing set from maturity indicators, moisture content and shattering risk
  • Lot traceability maintained through field maps, tags and production records

Participants can specify post-harvest operations that preserve physical purity, viability and storage quality.

  • Post-harvest drying targets safe moisture levels without damaging seed viability
  • Air-screen cleaning separates inert matter, weed seeds and undersized seed
  • Gravity separation improves physical purity using density differences
  • Seed treatment choices match pathogens, pests, application rates and safety controls
  • Packaging materials selected for moisture barriers, handling and storage duration
  • Warehouse conditions monitored for temperature, relative humidity, pests and inventory rotation
  • Lot sampling follows ISTA principles for representative laboratory submissions

Participants can interpret seed laboratory results and determine whether lots meet release requirements.

  • Purity analysis separates pure seed, inert matter, other crop seeds
  • Standard germination tests assess normal seedlings under prescribed substrate conditions
  • Tetrazolium testing estimates viability when dormancy delays germination results
  • Seed moisture determined using oven methods and calibrated moisture meters
  • Seed health tests identify seed-borne fungi, bacteria and viruses
  • Grow-out tests verify genetic purity and varietal identity before certification
  • ISTA certificates, laboratory reports and retest dates interpreted for release decisions

Participants can align seed quality systems, certification requirements and seasonal delivery plans.

  • Seed quality management systems align production controls, testing and corrective actions
  • ISTA Rules and OECD Seed Schemes applied to relevant export pathways
  • UPOV DUS criteria distinguished from national variety release performance testing
  • Quality claims reconciled with label requirements, lot records and traceability
  • Seed demand forecasts connect varietal turnover, farmer preferences and distribution plans
  • Seasonal action plans assign breeding, production, testing and delivery milestones

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Target product profile template
  2. Crop breeding pipeline plan
  3. Field trial design checklist
  4. Seed multiplication field inspection record
  5. Seed lot testing and release checklist
  6. Seasonal seed quality action plan

Who should attend

  • Plant Breeders — to structure crossing, selection and variety advancement decisions
  • Seed Production Managers — to control multiplication, isolation, roguing and lot traceability
  • Seed Quality Assurance Officers — to interpret laboratory results and release seed lots
  • Agricultural Research Officers — to design trials and manage varietal evaluation data
  • Seed Certification Inspectors — to assess field standards, documentation and varietal identity
  • Food Security Programme Managers — to procure and support quality seed interventions

Skills and tools covered

Plant breeding designField trial analysisSeed production controlSeed quality testingVariety certificationSeed system planning

Tools and standards

ISTA International Rules for Seed Testing, OECD Seed Schemes, UPOV DUS Testing, BBCH Growth Stage Scale

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short technical briefings followed by guided case work drawn from breeding programmes, seed enterprises and public certification systems. Participants interpret field-trial results, compare breeding strategies, review seed production records and make lot-release decisions from laboratory data. Group activities examine realistic issues such as off-types, low germination, disease findings and varietal performance across locations. Facilitators use calculation worksheets, production scenarios and application planning to connect technical methods with each participant's crop and organisational responsibilities.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with crop production, plant biology or agricultural field operations. Experience in seed production, agricultural research, extension, seed inspection or farm management is useful. Participants should be comfortable reading simple tables, calculating percentages and discussing crop performance data. No prior plant breeding qualification, laboratory certification, statistical software expertise or genetics specialism is required. The course introduces the necessary quantitative concepts before applying them to breeding trials, seed quality decisions and certification records.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with crop production, agricultural operations or plant biology. Prior study in genetics, statistics or seed laboratory methods is not required.

Participants should bring a laptop if possible, along with examples of crop varieties, seed quality issues or production records from their work. Course materials and calculation worksheets are provided.

The course suits plant breeders, seed production staff, quality officers, researchers, inspectors and agricultural programme personnel. It is designed for professionals who need to connect varietal development with reliable seed supply.

Crop production courses focus on managing commercial crops for yield, while this course focuses on creating, multiplying, testing and certifying seed. It also covers breeding decisions, genetic purity and varietal evaluation methods not normally addressed in extension training.

Participants can use the templates to revise breeding objectives, improve trial protocols, plan multiplication fields and review seed lot release decisions. The methods apply to public breeding programmes, commercial seed operations and development-supported seed initiatives.

The five days provide about 32.5 contact hours from 08:30 to 16:30 each day. Time is divided among breeding principles, trial analysis, seed production controls, laboratory testing, certification requirements and action planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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