Mucuna Bracteata doesn't flower and bear fruit everywhere. For the same reason, Mucuna Bracteata seeds needs to be imported from where it bears fruit. Currently, Mucuna Bracteata seeds are available in some parts of India. Since most of the countries has to import Mucuna Bracteata seeds, it is important to ascertain the quality of seeds. Here are few things, that could help you identifying good quality seeds. At Appu Agro, we make sure, that seeds meet the stringent quality guidelines, we have made, that you can be assured of the best seeds available in the market.

Germination of the seeds are to be tested in the lot. Seeds for testing is taken at random and subject them to the abrasion by rubbing over a file or sand paper. Good seeds produce metallic sound. Others are soft while rubbing and they can be removed. If not they release tannin while soaking and good germinating seeds will be damaged. Seeds are soaked in water for 12 hrs. Then seeds are placed in wet multi-layered tissue paper and put inside a container. Seeds germinate in 24 hrs.

Good quality Mucuna Bracteata Seeds are  big barrel shaped and brown to black in color. The germination of such seeds are up to 90% and uniformly germinate producing big radicle. Some small barrel shaped seeds present as admixture also germinate, but the percentage is less up to 30% only. Other seeds which are flat and shrunk at the middle are not good and do not germinate.
Commercial seeds from the suppliers contain mixture of the above types, insect damage, impurities and seeds of other plants, like Mucuna pruriens. Even small stones will be present. One has to cautious in purchasing seeds. Getting only, big barrel shaped seeds is extremely difficult, and they have to compromise with the available seeds. On an average commercial seed  samples contain 6100 seeds per kg with germination ranging from 65 to 75%. Any claim above that in comercial seeds has to be viewed with suspicion.

Mucuna Bracteata seeds vary considerably with regards to size, color, weight etc. Quality Mucuna Bracteata Seeds, are barrel shaped with the hilum present in the middle of one side. Such seeds are big and brown to black in colour. They weigh 240 to 265 mg each. There will be roughly 4500 seeds in a kilogram. The germination ranges from 75 to 80%. Other type of seeds, are almost same size, flat and shrunken on one side or both the sides. Such seeds weigh 120 to 130 mg and there are 6800 seeds in a kilogram. The germination is below 50% only. Still another type of small barrel shaped seeds weighing 130 to 150 mg. There will be 2000 seeds in a kilogram. The germination percentage of these seeds is 25 to 30%.
Black flat seeds not only fail to germinate, but also produce phenolic compounds which inhibit, the growth radicles. Such seeds should be removed before soaking the seeds. From the view of the planters big barrel shaped seeds are ideal. Insect attacked if present should be removed. After 1 hr of soaking black flat seeds start bulging releasing black tannin. So such seeds can easily be identified and removed.

Mucuna Bracteata Seeds from the suppliers have both good and bad seeds. Bad seeds are to be carefully removed from the lot before reaching the end user. Seeds which are unusually dark flat and depressed are not useful. Presence of more seeds considerably reduce the germination percentage. In the presence of bad seeds the germination of good seeds are also affected. The phenolic compound from the immature seeds mainly damage the radicle of germinating goods and kill them.
Next to physical malformed seeds insect damage is a serious problem in MB seeds. The seeds while inside the pod and after extraction are affected by caterpillars of some moth. They bore the seeds and eat away the cotyledon. At times the dried and good seeds are also affected by caterpillars. They form silky fibers and join the adjacent seeds and live there and enter the good seeds and feed on cotyledon. Such problem arises due to improper drying and unscientific storage. It also affects the quality of seeds to certain extent.

Good Mucuna bracteata seeds in general are barrel shaped and brown and black in color. The length is more compared to width. Prominent dark colored hilum is present on the seeds. Mucuna Bracteata  seeds size vary considerably . Good seeds are big and weighs 240 to 265 mg each. A small percentage of seeds are  small round and weigh 130to 150 mg. Flat seeds either big or small are not good ones. Such seeds show depression in the middle. The cotyledon inside the seed coat are white and hard in good seeds where as in the bad seeds it is yellow to black there are also seeds having small holes due to insect damage. Some seeds have white growth at the hilum region and they are bad seeds. Good lot of seeds must have over 75% of big barrel shaped seeds. When put in water good quality seeds settle at bottom and bad ones float on the top. Good quality of seeds do not imbibe water, while bad seeds imbibe water and bulge. Water containing bad seeds change the color of water to black due to phenolic compounds. None of the seeds germinate Colour change of water by bad seeds is a simple method of identifying bad seeds from the lot. At time tannin from bad seeds affect the germination of the good seeds. Uniform big barrel shaped seeds on scarification and testing germinate up to 90 percent.