Saving Seeds of Radish
Production Isolation fully; then bring them to the
threshing floor for drying.
Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a Radish flowers are cross-pollinated
member of the cabbage family and by insects, primarily honeybees.
grown worldwide. The harvested Isolation distances of 1000 m or
Processing
roots, prized for their pungent taste, more are recommended. Related Threshing is done by hand-beating
come in a wide variety of colors, weeds, notably wild radish, wild with sticks. The seed is then dried
shapes and sizes. There are two turnip and wild mustard, must be further.
major types. First, there are the removed to prevent cross-pollination.
biennials of temperate origin that
require a cold period for flowering. Storage
Selection
These include the Japanese, Dried seeds can be safely stored for
American and European radishes. In the root-to-seed method, foliar at least three years. Place seeds in
Second, there are radishes of characteristics, root shape, size, jars, manila envelopes, cloth or
tropical origin that do not require a skin and flesh colors, pungency, mesh bags, plastic containers, or
cold period for flowering. pithiness and bolting behavior are foil envelopes. The best containers
considered. Hairy or forked roots are air-tight, such as a sealed glass
Radish grows best in a cool dry
and early bolting plants are removed. jar, metal can, or foil envelope.
climate. Temperatures above 32 °C
cause the stigma to drop and the Selection is more difficult in the Protect seed from sunlight.
pollen may fail to germinate. Two seed-to-seed method because one Store seeds in a cool (below
methods are used to produce seed: cannot see the entire root. Never- 15 °C is ideal), dry location. Place
theless, growers using this method
Root-to-seed. Fully mature roots the seeds in a refrigerator for long-
should aggressively rogue out un-
are harvested and selected for type term storage. For short-term stor-
desirable plants taking into consid-
(Fig. 1). The upper one-third of the age, keep the seeds in a cool, shady
eration the same factors as with the
root is cut and replanted at a spac- and dry place.
root-to-seed method.
ing of 45 × 30 cm.
Seed-to-seed. Fall-winter References
Harvesting
plantings are allowed to go to seed Kelly, A.F. and R.A.T. George. 1998.
naturally. Plants are carefully Threshing seeds from pods are Encyclopaedia of seed production of
thinned to stand 45 × 45 cm apart. difficult. Allow the plants to mature world crops. New York: John Wiley &
Sons.
Rashid, M.A. and D.P. Singh. 2000. A manual
of seed production in Bangladesh.
AVRDC-USAID-Bangladesh Project.
Joydebpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh.
Fig. 1. Radish roots Fig. 2. Ripening seed pods
Excerpt from “Saving your own vegetable seeds—a guide for farmers”. This fact sheet was written by Tom Kalb of AVRDC and
Sutevee Sukprakarn, Sunanta Juntakool and Rukui Huang of Katsesart University. Photos by Ming-che Chen. AVRDC Publication No.
06-668. Published by AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center; P.O. Box 42, Shanhua; Taiwan 74151; ROC. April 2006.
tel: (886-6) 583-7801; fax: (886-6) 583-0009; email: avrdcbox@[Link]; web: [Link]
