Tag: Seed

Successful seed germination and optimal utilization of all needed resources during the early stages of crop development are essential for profitable agricultural production. In the very first steps of a crop’s lifecycle, any kind of unfavorable biotic and abiotic events will result in poor crop development or in the worst-case scenario total crop loss.

Seeds must overcome many obstacles, including diseases, pests, and environmental pressures. Therefore, a careful seed treatment is being done before sowing.

Applying treatment for additional seed protection against such events is one of the possible strategies that many modern farmers take to ensure that their crop receives the early protection it needs.

The term “seed treatment” describes the use of biological, physical, and chemical agents and processes to protect seeds in various environments such as soils and storage facilities. From this, we can say that this treatment is mainly used in two agricultural activities: prior sowing and storing.

These agents are directly applied onto or into the seeds and very often, the seeds are treated in a combination of several agents which later help to control the damage that can be done by pests, diseases, and unfavorable conditions.

Here is a list of potential seed treatment agents that are often used in agricultural production systems:

• Fungicides
• Insecticides
• Bird repellents
• Seed enhancements
• Additives

The agent or the combination of agents that could be potentially used in the seed treating methods depends on the needs of the farmers, or more precisely, on the actual situation in the agricultural fields and the presence of pests, pathogens, or specific abiotic conditions.

There are synthetic and organic treatments, depending on the source of the treatment component.

Why seed treatment is necessary?

For achieving the desired yield and maximal utilization of the seed’s genetic potential every farmer must use seed protection methods such as seed treatment. It is not a new method for ensuring proper agricultural production of healthy plants.

Farmers have been looking for strategies to safeguard their crops throughout history such as the oldest evidence of treatment, dating around 60 A.D. when wine and crushed cypress leaves were used to preserve seed from storage insects.

Usually, treated seeds are sown directly in the soil, where lots of pathogen fungi, bacteria, nematodes, etc. can potentially hinder the germination and sprouting or even damage the seed before germination. Without this treatment, a very small percent of the sown seeds can succeed in their early stages of growth development, directly jeopardizing agricultural production.

Moreover, after the sowing operation, there is plentiful food ready for the birds to pick. Many bird species feed on seeds that make the agricultural fields an ideal feeding ground. For minimizing the risk of birds feeding on the freshly sown agricultural fields, treatment with bird repellent is the easiest and most effective way to ensure proper sprouting of the seeds without any missing lanes of seeds in the fields.

Another situation when the treatment is necessary is when the seeds have small dimensions making them difficult to manipulate by the seeding machines.

Are seed protection treatments dangerous?

Very often treated seeds contain insecticides, pesticides, and other harmful substances in their coating. Depending on the agents that were used in coating the seeds, the seeds can be hazardous for the people that are handling them, the wildlife that can potentially consume them, or the water bodies that are nearby the agricultural fields.

When planting treated seed, consider the following precautions:

• Exposure could occur to those who handle or use treated seed. As with other insecticides, handle treated seed with caution.
• Carefully dispose of treated seed. Animals might consume it if it is spilled or poorly disposed of.
• Never compost or burn treated seed.
• Never ingest treated seeds or use them as feed for animals.
• Avoid children, who can be drawn to the vibrant colors. You may not use treated seed for projects or show & tell in the classroom.
• To stop wildlife from eating spilled seed, tidy it up or cover it with soil.

What are the types of seed treatment?

There are several existing treatment methods:

1. Fungicidal and insecticidal dressing

This method of treatment helps the growers to control different types of fungal diseases such as root rots, blights, molds, smuts, etc., as well as, repel or kill various soil pests that can damage the seeds or the crops in their earliest stage of development.

Usually, this type of treatment has three main purposes: disinfection, disinfestation, and seed protection.

Here is a list of the most common active ingredients in fungicidal and insecticidal treatment:

• Fungicides: Fludioxonil, Tebuconazole, Metalaxyl, Thiabendazole, Azoxystrobin, Pyraclostrobin,Ipconazole.
• Insecticides: Imidacloprid, Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam.

2. Strengthening and seed protection treatment

This process is generally done by soaking the seeds in specific solutions or mediums in order to ensure proper seed germination rate and/or strengthen the seeds to endure lower temperatures, draughts, or wet soil conditions. One of the most used agents for such treatments are different kinds of fertilizers (organic/mineral).

3. Granulation

Granulation is a process where small dimension seeds are coated with extra material in order to enlarge their diameter to make them easier for manipulation. This process is extremely important when the farmers are implementing precision agriculture technology and equipment. For enlarging the diameter of the seeds, clay powder is often used.




4. Managing seed activity

With the help of organic solvents, infusion of liquids and their penetration in the seeds is possible in order to break the dormancy of the seeds. On the other side, with the help of salt solutions and their capability to alter the osmotic pressure in the cell, seeds water absorption can be slowed down.

This is particularly helpful in situations where we have seeds with larger embryos and higher protein content to synchronize their germination in soils with lower temperatures.

Which is the best seed protection?

A perfect example of the best treatment does not exist, because every treatment has its own ability to prevent, cure or mitigate a specific or a combination of specific unfavorable conditions and events that can occur during sowing or storing the seeds.

Seed Treatment Benefits

It is particularly beneficial in the following situations:

• For early sowing when excessive soil moisture and low soil temperature increase the risks of damping-off diseases;
• In conservation tillage practices;
• In the implementation of integrated pest management processes;
• In the process of soil-improving practices via providing beneficial bacteria;
• In plant protection processes, making the seeds free from pathogens (bacteria, fungi, nematodes, pests);
• Reducing costs for plant protection due to decreased occurrence of plant disease and damages;
• Boosting crop performance and enhancement of crop growth with the help of providing sufficient nutrients through the coating treatment process;
• When germination capacity is low.

According to Bayer Crop Science, between 20 and 40% of production is lost each year as a result of diseases, insects, and weeds. In the end, growers want to give their seeds the best chance to develop into a strong crop ready for harvest. One of the instruments in their toolkit to assist them in doing this treatments.

One of the most expensive items a farmer must buy, aside from farm equipment, is seeds. Additionally, they have to buy it every year. Farmers and the businesses that assist them are always looking for more ethical and inexpensive ways to preserve the value of the seed. Farmers can maintain the value of their seeds by using seed treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Difference between seed disinfection and seed disinfestation?

Seed disinfection and seed disinfestation are two distinct processes involved in seed treatment.

Seed disinfection refers to the elimination or reduction of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, present on the surface or inside the seed. It involves the use of chemical treatments, heat, or other techniques to kill or inhibit the growth of harmful pathogens.

On the other hand, seed disinfestation focuses on the removal or reduction of pests and insects present on or within the seed. It typically involves physical methods like sieving, washing, or cleaning the seeds to remove pests or their eggs, larvae, or adults.

2. What is treated seed?

Treated seed is seed that has been coated with fungicides, insecticides, or other protective substances to protect it from diseases, pathogens, and pests. These treatments ensure the seed and the resulting plant are safeguarded from potential threats, promoting healthy growth and maximizing crop yield.

3. What is seed therapy?

Seed therapy refers to a set of practices aimed at improving seed quality and enhancing germination and plant growth. It involves various techniques such as seed priming, seed coating, or seed enhancement treatments.

These methods can include nutrient enrichment, hormone application, or microbial inoculation to promote better seed vigor, disease resistance, and overall plant performance.

Seed therapy aims to optimize the potential of seeds, leading to improved crop establishment, higher yields, and enhanced agricultural productivity.

4. What is planting materials?

Planting materials refer to any form of plant parts or structures used for propagation and establishing new plants. This includes seeds, bulbs, cuttings, tubers, rhizomes, or seedlings.

These materials serve as the starting point for growing plants, providing the necessary genetic material and resources for germination and growth.

Planting materials are carefully selected for their quality, viability, and suitability to ensure successful establishment and development of new plants in gardening, horticulture, or agriculture.

Variable-rate fertilizer is the gold of the agricultural industry because it is more thoughtful and safer to invest in Variable-rate technology to produce healthier and more yields. The acceptance of VR technology also brought about the use of VR seeding rates.

VR fertilizer and seeding share the same concept by smoothening outfields inconsistency to produce a more uniform and consistent crop establishment in various managing zones. The productivity of these managing soil zones is based on the seeding rate, i.e., the seeding rate of a highly productive zone will be very different from a soil zone with more subordinate productivity.

In the simplest term, variable rate seedling aims to produce more even crops because land varies and the nutrient portion in one section differs from the other. Since variable-rate fertilization has been accepted and used for years, why is there an argument over variable-rate seeding?

GeoPard, an independent precision agriculture powerhouse, uses the current mapping system to produce solutions for crop consultants and growers.

These Management zone maps are developed through layering in real-time kinematic elevation, water flow paths, soil organic carbon, electrical conductivity maps, and topography features. Although variable rates don’t just work by starting all at once, it takes precision, beginning at the suitable zones, and a vast understanding of the responses of crops to inputs in each specific zones.

Considerations for variable-rate seeding

The field’s potential for VR seeding is more significant than its yield variability. Before considering a variable seed rate as an option, the seeding rate must differ by more than 3,000 seeds per acre, and you need to consider the information you have on management zones.

The yield maps are usually the best starting place when developing management soil zones. Management soil zones mean areas with consistent soil performance for more extended periods. On the other hand, it is tougher to manage a field whose performance varies yearly. An example is an area with varying rainfall and dry season.

Soil series information is another crucial factor in considering variable-rate seedings because they are used to develop management zones. Still, the level of accuracy of the zone is not solely determined by soil series. Soil series information must be used with either soil electrical conductivity or remote sensing imagery for a more accurate mapping in creating management zones.

The evaluation process

The evaluation process determines the adjustment made when prescribing seedings for the following year. This process involved test strips to monitor the planting rate via variable seeding rates and soil zones.

The test strips are gathered and then compared to calculate the overall profit, yield, and seed rate, determining if raising the VR will increase its output or if reducing the VR will have no effect compared with the test strips.

Benefits of variable-rate seed technology

Variable-rate seed (VRS) technology introduced variable-rate seeding and variable-rate fertilizer to aid in the reduction of the input cost of crops in sections suffering from low productivity and strengthen these sections for high productivity by upgrading their production.

With VRS, we can now maximize seeding inputs with the combination of managing soil zones with higher productivity and plant populations. But this can only be accurately achieved with a variable rate-capable cultivator.

Identifying and understanding the field of variable-rate seed technology through several plant populations is the first and most significant step to effectively creating a variable-rate seeding prescription.

The prescription determines the variation, and once identified, it is then divided into management zones containing data such as; past yields, soil topography, properties of the soil, and aerial imagery, all known as Yield Data.

Using past data on the same crop is an intentional process. It is a method to accurately depict the yield data because the VRS prescription is greatly dependent on the accuracy of the yield data. Multiple years of data are gathered and recorded using calibrated yield monitor.

If the data is recorded, results in stable yield production are most accurate and ideal for use. The identification of zones produces enough information for an agronomic response for each zones seeding rate.

This will result in lower input costs for a higher yield. These seeding rates are used for the variable-rate prescription and can be customized for different zones. For example, the seeding rates in maize crops are higher in the high productiveness zone and vice versa.

On the other hand, the seeding rate of soybean has the opposite result compared to maize’s seeding rate, i.e., its seeding rate reduces in high-productivity areas but increases in low-productivity zones.

Although, it is common for fields to have about three to five zones because the width and number of the management soil zone depend on how large the field is, the variability, and the size and capability of equipment.

Conducting check strip trials on the farm is better to monitor and detect the response of plant yields to the VR seeding in a field. Spatial or geographical yield analysis tells if variable-rate seeding is a good form of investment. Always validate variable-rate prescriptions as many times as possible, so the targeted seed rates produce an optimized return.

Do not undermine the evaluation from strips because the prescription accuracy depends significantly on comparing the check ribbons and standard practice seeding rates because it determines the seeding rates that will produce maximum returns.

GeoPard is an agrotech company that uses mapping in its different forms with variable-rate technology to produce a defined data layer for a better and more accurate form of soil sampling, topography, and variable-rate seeding.

GeoPard improves the variable-rate seeding by aiding planning stages with inputs on management zones before, during, and after field operations for a better harvest and to save money. GeoPard mapping and satellite imagery improve the planning and tracking of farming productivity.

It remains one of the best all-in-one cloud platforms for collecting farm data through sensors, topography, remote sensing, pobieranie próbek gleby, and yield.

Increasing farm profitability with farm data analysis & satellite imagery has gotten even better with working features for evaluating management zones, productivity, and yield. You can even monitor its progress with or without cellular connectivity on all your devices.

You can predict post-harvest analysis with the information provided, and it can be used to analyze profits and improvements for the next season with 30+ years of history.

GeoPard’s features include single-and-multi layer analytics for evaluating management zones, Field Stability maps, Field Potential Multi-year maps, Cross-layer maps, Zones adjustments, VRA maps like Variable Rate Seeding (Planting) Maps, and many more to define field zones and improve productivity, variability, and farm operations through mapping.

A unique feature of GeoPard Is the heterogeneity index it has on all fields. This means that it can show the variability or heterogeneity of your fields. GeoPard precision technology aims to make users understand variable rate technology and its various means of application. You can even save on chemical sprays once you understand heterogeneous fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

Seeding rate refers to the amount of seeds sown per unit area of land during planting. It is an important factor in determining the optimal density of plants for a specific crop.

The seeding rate is influenced by various factors, including crop type, desired plant population, seed quality, and environmental conditions.

Adjusting the seeding rate helps achieve the desired plant spacing, ensuring adequate plant competition, maximizing yield potential, and optimizing resource utilization in agriculture.

2. How to calculate seeding rate or seed rate per hectare? 

To calculate the seed rate per hectare, you need to consider the desired plant population and the thousand grain weight (TGW) of the seed.

First, determine the desired plant population per square meter based on your crop and farming practices.

Next, convert the desired plant population to plants per hectare by multiplying it by 10,000 (since there are 10,000 square meters in a hectare).

Then, divide the desired plant population per hectare by the TGW of the seed. This will give you the seed rate per hectare in kilograms.

Finally, if the seed rate is given in grams, convert it to kilograms by dividing it by 1000.

Remember to consider factors like seed quality, germination rate, and field conditions when calculating the seed rate per hectare.