Re: HYB:seed:drying

In a message dated 6/26/2005 10:42:57 AM Central Daylight Time, 
Autmirislvr@aol.com writes:
<<In a message dated 6/24/2005 9:01:21 P.M. Central Standard  Time,  
chrisdarlington@videotron.ca writes:

Also  open  cups is important for drying, 
otherwise the seeds will get moldy   fast.>>
I posted this to the iris list 2 time and each time it went into the  
archives without ever showing up on the iris list.  (On my screen at  least)  

Thought someone might appreciate knowing the technique I've  worked out for 
drying seed.  
About 4 years into my breeding  program, I was gone for a week and  came back 
to 
find seed all over the  floor.  A year or two later, a  humid year, I had all 
of 
my  crosses in an envelope rack by an open  window.  Wind whipped the  
curtain 
over them and knocked several to the   floor. 

I found cups to be  impractical back when I was  harvesting approximately 80 
crosses per year. In desperation I developed  this technique.  When my seed 
are removed from the pod they are counted  and go straight into a  personal 
sized 
envelope.  I find these  much easier to handle than open  cups, and they 
don't 
take as much  storage space.  

The number of seed, the parents, and the field #  are printed on the  
envelope 
before the seed go into the envelope.  The  envelope is sealed!!  Permanent 
cross number is added once  all  seed are dry and the year's cross 
information 
has been sorted (by  pod  parent).   Everything is on excel these days.  
Number  
of seed is  entered into the permanent records.  Number of pots  per cross 
will 
be  entered later and date planted.  

The  envelopes are stacked on edge on the bookshelf nearest my  computer.   I 
keep the seed from molding and sticking to the envelopes by  shaking  them 
every 
day.  I reverse the envelopes each day, also.   This  last step may not be 
necessary, but gravity kicks in if something  didn't  turn loose during the 
shaking.  Eventually, they will have  a dry rattling  sound.  (no mold) Once 
they are 
dry, I sort them  according to the permanent  number, now on the upper right 
hand corner  of the envelope.  Then, I forget  them until planting time.   

I've used the sealed envelope technique for about 15 years.  I get  no  mold 
so long as I remember to shake the envelopes.  Even if  mold should  occur, 
it 
does not damage the seed.  Just looks  bad.  
Betty, would it help  to punch several small pinholes in the envelope with a 
large needle?


Connie Eggen
Zone 5
Warsaw MO

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