Have you checked in with your seeds?

Test your cereal seed quality before seeding.

One of the first things to consider when developing a seeding plan for the upcoming season is the quality of your seed. Understanding where the seed stands in terms of germination, vigour and disease allows you to make more informed management decisions to help your crop reach its full potential. Growers often consider management practices related to the seed as optional but starting with the best possible seed helps to ensure that you’ll be satisfied with the end results. It’s time for seed testing to be thought of as mandatory.

Regional Considerations

Seed establishment has been variable in the past two years across Western Canada due to high variability in environmental conditions. Some areas received more moisture in the spring of 2024 than they have in years. Some areas experienced low moisture levels in the spring and others dealt with lower quality grain due to early snowfall; seedling development has been a challenge. Additionally, fusarium head blight continues to be a concern as this pathogen has become established in most cereal production areas.

Due to these challenges, growers are encouraged to test seed in the fall to better understand the quality of each seed lot and the potential for use in future years. Fall testing is very common, but it is recommended that seed being used for the following season be re-tested in the spring. Doing so ensures that the germination and vigour were not impacted over the winter months. Also, proper storage of grain is key in ensuring that you keep the high-quality seed for future seeding needs.

Although quality is concern number one, it is also important to protect that seed from pathogens that can also be present in the soil. A common misconception can be that as the weather warms up stress levels on the seedlings decrease and it’s no longer necessary to rely on seed treatments. When in actuality, most pathogens are most active and are more virulent at 15 to 20°C making them just as detrimental as they are at cooler temperatures. Using a seed treatment under all conditions is an investment that should be made on every field, every year regardless of conditions.

Reasons to Test

The decisions you make at seeding affect the potential of your crop for the rest of the season and you only get one chance to do it right. Diseases like smuts and bunts in cereals can be avoided with the use of a seed treatment but without it, there is no other time to manage them. Other diseases, like Fusarium, can increase the levels of inoculum present in the soil and can reduce your plant stand if not managed appropriately. This increase in inoculum could also increase your risk of FHB in subsequent cereal crops in that field. Proactively conducting a disease test and using a seed treatment are all part of an integrated approach to managing potential diseases. Understanding your seed quality and on-seed disease levels can help you identify potential problems and provides a valuable opportunity to avoid them. Testing your seed is a relatively inexpensive investment compared to the value of the information you gain.

Best Practices

So, what should you be looking for in your seed? Choose seed with high germination rates (>90%), high seedling vigour (don’t use seed below 90% if possible) and low seed-borne disease levels. Remember not to focus solely on your disease results because germination and vigour are also very important.

Germination testing:

• Measure of the percentage of seeds in a seed lot capable of germination under the best possible conditions

Vigour testing:

• Determines the proportion of seeds that will be vigorous enough to germinate and survive the stresses associated with emergence

Disease testing:

• Certified seed only has to meet standards for germination and doesn’t have to meet minimum disease standards, but planting clean seed avoids introduction of disease
• Correct diagnosis is key because diseases often occur as a complex so it’s impossible to identify the diseases without proper testing
• Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) are not always pink and are often confused with heat stress, so it’s essential to have an expert analyze your seed

Seed cleaning:

• Removes disease or damaged seed for improved cleaning

Seed treatment:

• Protects against early season seed- and soil-borne diseases, increases germination and emergence consistency, enhances vigour, maintains root health and helps the crop withstand minor stresses
• Choose a seed treatment that offers multiple modes of action and effective control of all major seed and seedling diseases of economic importance

Expert Opinion

Holly Gelech from BioVision Seed Labs says that it’s imperative for growers to test their seed in the fall to understand what their baseline seed quality is. Holly recommends a test package that includes germination, the cool stress test (vigour test) and a fungal scan. Germination has been a benchmark test for decades, but the full fungal scan has only been in the marketplace more recently. Traditionally, growers would test seed for a specific disease that may be a problem in their field but now with a full fungal scan, growers can really pin-point the potential for seed-borne disease development in their seed lot. Holly stressed that while we can’t control the weather, we can gain insight into seed-borne diseases with accurate testing and start the growing season off right with effective seed treatments.

Future Innovations

BASF is committed to helping growers get a good start on the growing season via our portfolio. We’re continuously conducting research to improve our seed solutions to help you achieve successful crop establishment. Fusarium management in cereals can be daunting, as the pathogen is prevalent across all of Western Canada, but there are tools available that growers can use. Insure^® Cereal FX4 uses four modes of action to deliver broad-spectrum defense against key seed- and soil-borne diseases to protect your return on investment. And it’s Plant Health Benefits provide more uniform emergence, enhanced seedling vigour and better management of minor stress to help you achieve your target plant populations. It’s also formulated for reduced viscosity and optimized usability for enhanced ease-of-use during treating.

1. Plant Health Benefits refer to products that contain the active ingredient pyroclastrobin.

INSURE is a registered trade-marks of BASF; used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2024 BASF Canada Inc.

References

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2. Seneviratne, G., Weerasekara, M.L.M.A,W., Seneviratne, K.A.C.N., Zavahir, J.S., Kecskes, M.L., and Kennedy, I.R. 2010. Importance of biofilm formation in plant growth promoting rhizobacterial action. Microbiology Monographs. 81-95.
3. Bogino, C. Pablo, delas Mercedes Oliva, Maria, Sorroche, G. Fernando, and Giordano, Walter. 2013. The role of bacterial biofilms and surface components in plant-bacterial associations. International Journal of Molecular Science. 14:15838-15859.
4. Bogino, C. Pablo, delas Mercedes Oliva, Maria, Sorroche, G. Fernando, and Giordano, Walter. 2013. The role of bacterial biofilms and surface components in plant-bacterial associations. International Journal of Molecular Science. 14:15838-15859.
5. Beauregard, B. P., Chai, Y., Vlamakis, H., Losick, R., and Kolter, R. 2013. Bacillus subtilis biofilm induction by plant polysaccharides. PNAS. 1-10.