Patent ID: 7748163

Claim:
A method for treating seeds having an initial temperature in the range of from −30 to 30° C. at the moment they are subjected to sterilization, comprising the following steps: (a) contacting the seeds with steam for 0.1 to 5 seconds and at a minimum pressure of 0.5 bar absolute, wherein the steam condenses on the seeds and the temperature of the surfaces of the seeds is raised to 200° C. at most; and (b) cooling the sterilized seeds obtained in step (a), wherein the temperature of the surface is lowered, within 10 seconds to 30° C. at most, and wherein the conditions of steps (a) and (b) are set such that the germination capacity of the seeds is relatively preserved or increases wherein, in step (a), the surface of the seeds reaches a temperature of 80-150° C., before the seeds are subjected to step (b).