General Biosecurity fumigation for fruit and seed collection

Pixar

Chumono
Messages
734
Reaction score
362
Location
Auckland , New Zealand
USDA Zone
10b
As mention wonder how many people collect seeds from fruit and grow the seed .
Does fumigation affect the seeds?
 

Pixar

Chumono
Messages
734
Reaction score
362
Location
Auckland , New Zealand
USDA Zone
10b
Ok , haven't had anyone answer , but this affects all fruit which comes into New Zealand ( they fumigate to stop bugs and pests coming into the country )
Is this the reason I have trouble getting tropical fruit seeds to germinate ?

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is sometimes used as a fumigant against surface pests such as mealybugs and aphids. It is used in some countries to treat bananas, pineapples and other tropical fruit. However, HCN is extremely toxic, being potentially deadly to humans through skin contact alone.
 
Last edited:

nuttiest

Omono
Messages
1,029
Reaction score
797
Location
fl
USDA Zone
10
Most tropical fruit seeds need to be sown immediately after ripening, you can't store the seeds.
 

Pixar

Chumono
Messages
734
Reaction score
362
Location
Auckland , New Zealand
USDA Zone
10b
Yes , that's what i have been doing with mangoes ( but they struggle to germinate etc...)
Just wondering if it's something to do with the fumigation process and they may be using different gases to fumigate
 

Wires_Guy_wires

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,408
Reaction score
10,630
Location
Netherlands
Most seeds should be resistant to fumigation. Keep in mind that seeds need to resist digestion from all sorts of animals, fungi and bacteria.
Its very possible that you're dealing with gamma irradiation (way cheaper) or that the fruits contain sterile seeds.
Fruit growers sometimes use hybrids that cannot produce viable offspring so that nobody can copy their hard work without buying the original from the source.
 

Pixar

Chumono
Messages
734
Reaction score
362
Location
Auckland , New Zealand
USDA Zone
10b
Most seeds should be resistant to fumigation. Keep in mind that seeds need to resist digestion from all sorts of animals, fungi and bacteria.
Its very possible that you're dealing with gamma irradiation (way cheaper) or that the fruits contain sterile seeds.
Fruit growers sometimes use hybrids that cannot produce viable offspring so that nobody can copy their hard work without buying the original from the source.
Thanks for your explanation . All makes sense and this is the likely cause
many many thanks
 

Srt8madness

Omono
Messages
1,164
Reaction score
1,236
Location
Houston, Tx
USDA Zone
9a
Yup, often grocery store fruits and veggies have sterile or stunted seed. Most usual way we find this out in the US is as a kid with apple seeds.

That said I can get seeds from grocery store irradiated dragon fruit to germ all day, and those are treated with radiation. No idea if they will fruit though, still a few years away.

That's what the "heirloom" title let's you know, you can collect and grow seed.
 
Top Bottom