Hobby to professional…!! Seeds are incredible because they are smaller versions of the entire plant, concealing the entire tree structure under the skin and allowing them to thrive in favorable conditions. Seeds have been known to humans from the beginning of time, and they have played an important role from nomadic farming to precision farming. These are employed in a variety of ways, including food, decorative, cosmetics, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and so on, harnessing their physiochemical or biological qualities. It made me to think about how a seed’s form, size, and color varies from species to species. Being a forester instilled in me the habit of collecting the seeds of various tree species that I come across on field trips, outdoor exploration, excursions, and other activities. This passion prompted me to begin gathering basic information about seed and their handling,

The forest cover in most tropical countries has been under severe pressure and is diminishing at an alarming speed; consequently, they are experiencing severe biodiversity losses, reverting to a mature state at a slower rate with low resiliency. These tropical countries are aware of the danger causing due to the loss of forests, and large afforestation programmes have been launched by forest departments, private companies, and donor-supported projects. Nevertheless, plantation activities have rarely been able to keep pace with the deforestation rate, not to mention replacing what has been lost during the past. Plantation programme through afforestation activity is not only the matter of the forest department alone but also the combined responsibility of all the foresters. The appeal of forest planting has changed over the years following the broader demand spectrum. To some extent, the forest plantations fail to create the diversity of plants and wildlife that has been lost. Hitherto, large-scale plantations are still necessary both directly to cater to the needs of industrial wood and help to minimize the pressure on the remaining natural forests. During the past decades, many government programmes have emphasized using 

Seed handling ensures the potential utilization of seed material. Collection and utilization of quality seeds are indispensable in producing quality planting material and better seedling establishment. After selecting the quality seed source, collecting good quality seeds physiologically and genetically is considered the first step in seed handling, followed by processing seeds, testing, storage, and pre-treatment for germination. The main goal of seed handling is to attain an excellent seed survival rate. The chances of seeds getting damaged during any stages of seed handling because of careless or rough approaches are very high. From the regeneration point of view, the quantity of seed production per tree correspondingly has a vital role to play. If considered virtually, only one successful seed (or two if the species is dioecious) would serve to replace the parent tree(s); hence the production of seeds during the lifetime of a tree is absurd. A full-grown Eucalyptus camaldulensis tree may produce a million or more seeds per year and live further, producing seeds for over a century. Each year’s production could help afforest

Adeniji, I.T., Adio, A.F., Iroko, O.A., Kareem, A.A., Jegede, O.C., Kazeem-Ibrahim, F., Adewole, T.O. and Adeosun, A.O. (2014). Pre-treatment of seeds of Annona squamosal (Sugar apple) a non-timber forest product. Res. Plant Sci, 2: 50-52. Anon (1897). Nursery Manual. National Wasteland Development Board, New Delhi. Anonymous (1950). Annual Report of the Silvicultural Research in Bombay State for the year 1948-49. Anonymous (1962). Silvicultural Research in Rajasthan: A report. Awang, K. and Taylor, D. (1993). Acacia mangium; Growing and utilization. MPTS monograph series No. 3 (No. PB-95-160032/XAB). Winrock International Inst. For Agricultural Development, Arlington, VA (United States).