Hybrid rice seeds hard to tell real from fake? 7 tricks to identify them easily

First look at uniformity. Hybrid rice seeds mixed with other rice grains have uneven grain shapes. The mixed-in male parent or other indica rice is obviously more slender and plump than hybrid rice seeds, while japonica rice grains are rounder.

Second look at the glume color. Hybrid rice seed glumes have slightly uneven yellowish-brown and other physiological discoloration, while the grains of the male parent and the maintainer line are more uniform in color; the maintainer line and other mixed grains have higher transparency than hybrid rice seeds, and their glumes are smoother than those of hybrid rice seeds.

Third look at the stigma trace. Because non-hybrid rice grains mostly belong to self-pollination, the pistil stigma is not exposed, and the stigma trace remains inside the glume; after peeling open the glume, a small light-black stigma trace can be seen at the top of the grain. Hybrid seeds belong to cross-pollination, and the stigma is exposed; by carefully observing the middle of the gap between the inner and outer lemma and palea of the grain, a not very obvious small black dot, namely the stigma trace, can be found. This is an important basis for identifying hybrid rice seeds and other rice grains.

Fourth look at dye testing. The method is to cut the rice glume longitudinally from the embryo into two halves, take one half of each grain, wash it clean, and soak it in red ink diluted to a 60-fold solution; after 1 hour, take it out and rinse it with clean water. If the embryo is not stained or is only lightly stained, it proves that the seed is viable; if it is deeply stained, it proves that the seed has lost viability. In this way, deteriorated seeds among hybrid seeds that will not germinate can be identified.

Fifth look at seed purity. Scoop up some seeds by hand; if there are solid particles such as soil particles and sand grains among the fingers and palm, and the fingers are stained with fine powdery matter, it proves that the seed purity does not reach the standard stipulated by the state (99%).

Sixth look at seed moisture content. A simple method is to bite a grain with the teeth; if there is a sharp crisp sound, the moisture content is basically normal; if there is no sharp crisp sound or the cut surface of the grain is uneven, the seed moisture content is generally higher than the normal standard (11.5%).

Seventh look at the seed "three certificates". Seeds with a seed business license, a quality certificate and a plant protection department pest quarantine certificate are high-quality hybrid rice seeds. Otherwise, they are fake or inferior hybrid rice seeds.