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Agriculture and all crop husbandry begins and ends with seed. From being a mere propagule, seed has been made omnipotent by several technological revolutions that are incorporated into it. Hence, seed is the best extension specialist in promotion of agriculture. Seed today is knowledge in itself, just like a computer microchip, it stores vast amount of information. Study of seed science skims the surface of this knowledge pool. Seed science encompasses several schools of thought viz., seed biology, dispersal, dormancy, production, processing, testing, tagging, packing, storage, distribution, marketing and legislation. An avid reader in pursuit of acquiring information about seed would find it exhaustive. Hence the book attempts to satiate the curiosity of an intrepid academic in the form of question and answer. We hope this book quenches the thirst for seed knowledge. About 1500 questions with their answers has been included in 11 chapters which will be very useful to the scientists, students and technical persons who are involved in the seed related matters. The book will also help students to update their knowledge and for those preparing for competitive examinations.

Recalcitrant (non-orthodox, homoeohydrous) seeds are a phenomenon into themselves. Several of the species from mesic forest and few from temperate highlands and wetlands show recalcitrant behaviour. It is a fact, that several of the horticultural fruits of economic importance are recalcitrant as well as a few oil bearing trees. Though orthodox behaviour promoted agrarian settlements, recalcitrant seeds were also used for their pulp bearing fruits, hence domesticated side by side along with agricultural crops. Research into recalcitrance had shown a behaviour ranging from complete orthodox, to some semblance of recalcitrant behaviour, to complete recalcitrancy, prompting the high priestess of recalcitrant phenomenon. Still in its infancy, research into recalcitrant behaviour is also a continuum. With several of plant species being lost to human related activities and several more as a consequence of global warming and climatic changes, it is high time, plant species especially in tropical rainforest were categorizedfor their recalcitrance behaviour and protocols evolved for their storage. This book is a result of intense scrutiny into recalcitrant literature, thus may be exhaustive and useful to fellow scientists and teachers. The authors however would caution the reader, about the necessity to use this book as the first step into the world of recalcitrant phenomenon. It may serve as a beacon into future research and help them to appreciate the world of nature.