News Release

March 22, 2021 – To bring awareness to the importance of seeds, the Crop Science Society of America is celebrating Seed Week March 22-28, 2021.

Anyone who plants a seed is investing in hope. That’s one of the attractions of seeds. For the gardener, it could be hope for a beautiful flower, or perhaps a delicious zucchini squash. For our farmers, seeds are the hope of this year’s yields of produce, cash crops or forage. No matter the size or shape of the seed, they all can bring forth new life.

Seeds also are crucial for the food security of the human population. Scientists keeps seeds in seed banks in case of disaster. They use seeds from different cultivars to breed new crops that are disease resistant. Other attributes for new varieties like drought tolerance and improved shelf life start with the genetic material contained in seeds. Sometimes genetic diversity needs to be stored in other ways, but the large majority of the genetic information of our crops is contained in seeds.

The content collected for Seed Week includes:

• Seven new blog posts just for Seed Week, in addition to ones previously published on the Sustainable, Secure Food Blog. Topics include:
  • What are seeds made of? Under the protective shell of seeds is information to create a living plant, and food to sustain the plant until its roots can absorb nutrients from the soil.
  • What are some edible seeds? Some seeds are grown to be eaten. Find out more about seeds, legumes and nuts.
  • Why are seeds different sizes?The answer might surprise you – it has to do with how long seeds can stay dormant, and where their optimal planting location is within the soil! 
  • How can you prevent weed seeds from germinating in your garden? Using cover crops can protect your garden seed from predators (mice, birds), prevent weed seeds from germinating and provide a stable temperature for your garden.
  • What are treated seeds? Some seeds are treated to help seeds germinate, others are treated to help protect them from disease and pest.
  • How are seeds classified and labeled? Learn how, and why, scientists classify seeds for use by breeders and farmers.
  • How do we keep seed trade safe? Seed safety is vital to food security. Find out how the USDA protects our ports of entry from pests and disease.
• A collection of CSSA news stories about seed science.
• A video about a crop scientist who studies seed germination.
• Science research from journals published by CSSA.
• A variety of K-12 activities to learn about seeds.

Join us in celebrating the importance of seeds during Seed Week: https://www.crops.org/seed-week

Crop Science Society of America: Our members are researchers and trained, certified professionals in the areas of growing our world’s food supply while protecting our environment. They work at universities, government research facilities, and private businesses across the United States and the world.