In the high-tech agriculture sector, producing F1 hybrid seeds that meet strict standards for purity and germination rate is always a major challenge for many businesses. At Lam Tai Agriculture, we proudly apply a closed self-production farm model (SOP, KPI) combined with an ERP software system since 2009 to strictly control from the original seed germination stage to export.
The article below will explain in detail the professional export-standard F1 hybrid seed germination process for the Solanaceae family, chili peppers (tomato, hot chili, sweet chili...) at Lam Tai Agriculture.
1. Receiving and Processing Original Seeds (Parent Lines)
After signing the foreign trade contract and completing legal procedures, international customers will send original seeds (including both male and female parent lines) to Lam Tai Agriculture factory. The initial processing procedure is meticulously performed to maximize germination activation:
Coding & Classification: Original seeds are assigned unique identification codes, classified, and stored in specialized warehouses.
Original Seed Soaking Process:
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Rinse seeds thoroughly with clean water.
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Soak seeds in warm water at 40°C for 2 hours to break dormancy.
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Soak in 10% TSP disinfectant solution for 1 hour, then rinse thoroughly with water.
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Wrap seeds with a clean moist cloth and place in a specialized germination cabinet.
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Standard germination time: For tomato seeds it is 2 days, for chili varieties it ranges from 3 to 4 days. When seeds crack and germinate evenly, they are immediately transferred to the nursery for thinning.
2. Preparation of Net House for Planting with 100% Sterilization Standard
To ensure the goal of F1 seeds free from infectious diseases (achieving 0% disease transmission rate), cleaning and sterilizing the net house before each cultivation season is mandatory at Lam Tai Agriculture.
The preparation process for the empty house includes the following strict steps:
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Cleaning the site: Remove all old pots, old plants, hanging wires, waste, and old substrates outside.
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Clean the system: Use high-pressure clean water combined with a brush to scrub the drainage channels.
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Treat irrigation system: Flush the drip system with 10% HCl acid solution for 24 hours, then remove and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
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Surface sterilization spray: Spray 2% Virkon solution (at least twice) on the entire frame structure and greenhouse film.
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Eliminate intermediate pests: Spray specialized pesticides for thrips, red spider mites, caterpillars, planthoppers, and whiteflies (3 times) throughout the net house space and surrounding mesh system.
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Arrange new materials: Place new substrate (already tested) into trays/pots, hang blue and yellow insect traps along the aisles.
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Final preventive spraying: Spray thrips prevention twice immediately before transplanting seedlings and sterilize all tools in the buffer room (Lock).
3. Seedling Germination Stage at Lam Tai Agriculture Nursery
Healthy seedlings are the foundation for superior F1 seed yield. This stage requires high precision in soil selection and care techniques:
Tray and soil preparation:
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Use 100-hole plastic seedling trays sterilized by soaking in 10% Javen solution for 1 day, rinsed 3 times with water and dried.
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Use clean organic BVB soil imported from the Netherlands to fill trays and make sowing holes with specialized tools.
Sowing, thinning, and seedling care techniques:
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Workers manually thin each germinated seed into individual holes (one seed per hole).
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After thinning, trays are placed under mist irrigation for 3-5 minutes to stabilize moisture.
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Apply plant protection pesticides (PPPs) every 5 days using specialized products such as M8, Acrobat, Dithan (dose about 30-35g per 16-liter sprayer) to prevent fungal diseases.
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Export standard: Continuously screen and remove stunted, deformed, or off-type seedlings. When seedlings reach export age (20-25 days for tomato and 30-35 days for chili), they will be transferred to the production net house for planting.
4. Techniques for Planting and Caring for Parent Plants Outside the Net House
When seedlings reach appropriate age, the transfer and field planting process is systematically carried out:
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Input inspection: Lot owner inspects seedling trays, verifies exact quantity and variety codes before signing and planting into substrate.
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Nutrition & Plant Protection: The automatic drip irrigation system supplies water and fertilizer according to optimal formulas for each growth stage through strict control of EC (electrical conductivity), pH, and water volume. Plant protection pesticides are sprayed every 5-7 days.
Strict infectious virus control (TMV):
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Every 5 days, workers check and perform rapid tests to detect TMV virus (usually spread by thrips).
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Safe destruction procedure: When diseased plants are detected, workers wear gloves, use specialized scissors to cut off the base and immediately place in trash bags to prevent spreading to healthy plants. After each cut, scissors must be soaked in 0.2% Virkon or 0.1% Physan disinfectant solution.
Technical management:
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Install fixed wires to support plant stems, strictly isolate different varieties to avoid unwanted cross-pollination. Workers prune branches, remove self-pollinated flowers (OP), and naturally opened flowers must wear gloves and disinfect hands with disinfectant solution after each plant to prevent cross-infection. All data is recorded in digital logs.
5. Pollination and Hybridization Process for F1 Seed Production
This is the core stage determining the purity (required to be 98% or higher) of Lam Tai Agriculture’s F1 hybrid seeds. The pollination time is about 20-25 days after planting for tomato and 40 days for chili.
Preparation before hybridization:
Staff training: Hybridization workers must be thoroughly trained in the process of flower emasculation, pollen application, and strictly adhere to the "8 dos and don’ts":
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Do not allow flowers to self-open.
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Do not emasculate flowers that have already opened.
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Do not emasculate flowers that have released pollen early.
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Do not emasculate twin flowers.
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Do not allow pollen sacs to fall and stick on leaves.
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Do not emasculate flower buds.
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Must continuously sterilize tweezers.
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Absolutely no missed pollen sacs.
Flower source sanitation: Thoroughly remove self-pollinated flowers (OP), naturally opened flowers, check if the pollen amount of the parent line is sufficient and the greenhouse temperature reaches the ideal level (28°C). This flower sanitation process is cross-checked through 3 levels: Lot owner ➔ Manager ➔ Quality Assurance (QA) department for final acceptance.
Specialized tools: Prepare medical gloves, pollen bags, test tubes, tweezers, 75° alcohol (to kill maternal pollen during emasculation), 0.1% Physan or 0.5% TSP solution to sterilize tools and prevent virus transmission.
Manual hybridization steps:
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Step 1 (Male flower emasculation): Select flowers at the correct physiological age (not too young or old). Use sterilized tweezers to remove 1/3 of the petals along with anthers, then cleanly remove remaining petals and pollen sacs. Mark the emasculation date with colored wool.
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Step 2 (Pollination): After emasculation for 24 hours, apply pollen from the male parent line onto the stigma of the emasculated female flower. Use colored wire to mark successfully pollinated flowers.
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Duration: The hybridization stage lasts 15-20 days for sweet/hot chili, and 45-50 days for tomato varieties.
6. Fruit Development Stage After Pollination
After the pollination period ends, all self-pollinated (OP) flowers and late-blooming flowers remaining on the plant are completely removed to concentrate nutrition on developing F1 hybrid fruits.
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Supplementary nutrition regime: In addition to periodic drip irrigation, add potassium and calcium fertilizers to promote uniform fruit growth, reduce fruit cracking or blossom-end rot.
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Pest and disease control: Maintain alternating plant protection pesticide sprays every 7-10 days to thoroughly control thrips, fruit borers, and fungal diseases.
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Yield assessment: Conduct measurements and second yield assessment (40 days after pollination ends) to update accurate data for partners and customers.
With the closed SOP international standard F1 hybrid seed germination and production process, Lam Tai Agriculture Company proudly delivers F1 seed lots with purity exceeding 98%, high disease resistance, and optimal germination rates. Professionalism in every stage from original seed soaking to fruit care is the key to affirming the sustainable prestige of Lam Tai Agriculture brand in the global seed export market.