An efficient seed production system is essential for both natural and artificial regeneration of forests. Annual new recruitments ensure continuous forest growth and the evolution of different species. A large quantity of seeds is also required to establish plantations outside the forest area for fulfilling the need for wood and other forest produce. Seeds are also vehicles for channelling genetic improvement of different traits to the plantations. Any breeding programme of a forestry species has a dedicated propagation or production population which supplies the genetically improved planting material either as seed or vegetative propagule. Seeds from the seed production areas (SPA) meet the immediate seed demand till such a time the production populations become functional. Although the genetic gain obtained from SPAs is not high, they can be established with low cost and limited technical expertise. Throughout the world seed orchards are planted for both tropical and temperate species for cost-effective production of genetically improved seeds. They are plantations established with seeds or clonal material from trees selected for desirable characters. They are intensively managed to produce an abundant seed crop every year which is genetically improved and possessing high level of genetic diversity. Two types of seed orchards are recognized based on the kind of planting material used for establishing them. The clonal seed orchards (CSO) are raised with vegetatively propagated material of the selected trees and preferred for those species which take a long time to become reproductively mature. Seedling seed orchards (SSO) are planted using seedlings obtained from seeds of selected trees and best suited for species which commence flowering early. The SSOs are usually serve as a progeny trial in the first few years (testing phase) and after thinning inferior accessions start functioning as an orchard (production phase). Seed orchards are further improved through thinning inferior families and clones identified through progeny testing. Several technical and financial aspects have to be considered while planning for the development of seed orchards like choice of orchard type, location, orchard size and requirements for the long-term management. Similarly, the factors like low or lack of flowering, low fruit set, fertility variation among orchard trees, reduced pollination, pollen contamination from inferior sources have to be constantly addressed to ensure the expected seed production and genetic gain. In general, a gain of 5–10% in wood production is realized form SPA seeds, whereas seed orchards may return higher gains of 15–30% depending on the species, stage of genetic improvement and benchmark used. Similar levels of genetic gain are expected from the two types of orchards for those traits which have high heritability. Case studies of orchards of three tropical trees with contrasting breeding systems are discussed to explain the various biological, silvicultural and environmental factors involved in establishing and managing successful seed production systems.