Retaining Seed for 2023

With the current weather conditions plus weeds and diseases present, retaining quality seed for 2023 may be challenging. Careful consideration needs to be made when selecting what grain to keep for seed and how this seed should be stored and sown. If in doubt, seed germination and vigour tests should be completed.

Weather Damage

  •     Identify seed blocks early and harvest as soon as possible

  •       Attempt to harvest seed in cool conditions at low moisture content

  •       Provide aeration to seed in silos to limit any further degradation of seed quality

  •       Identification of weather damaged seed includes, low falling numbers test result, wrinkled or soft seed coat, split seed coat and the development of an embryo or shoot

Diseased Seed

  •        With the cool, wet and humid conditions from flowering through the grain filling period, fungal infections of grain will be more common in 2022 than in previous seasons

  •         Such diseases include Fusarium Head Blight, Smut, and Bunt

  •        Avoid sowing seed that has been infected with diseases in the head

  •       Pink, white or black colouration plus pinched grain can all be signs of disease infection

Weed Contamination

  •        Many crops have significantly more weeds present than normal

  •       If possible, source seed from cleaner areas of crop, particularly avoiding fence lines and wet areas

  •         Many paddocks had to be resown due to waterlogged conditions. If the crop variety is unknow or a mix of varieties, it is best to avoid keeping this grain as seed.

  •        All grain should be graded and cleaned thoroughly to remove as much contamination as possible.

  •         Growers must check the quality of the job provided by seed cleaners

Seed Testing

  •         Any seed that may be weather damaged should have a germination and vigour test completed, either a simple at home test or ideally a professional test

  •         If reduced germination and vigour is identified, seed may need to be sown at a higher rate to achieve the same population density

  •        Affected seed is generally less able to withstand stresses at sowing

  •        Avoid sowing too deep into very dry or waterlogged soil and limit pre-emergent chemicals which cause root pruning

Fungicide Seed Treatments

  •         Fungicide seed dressings can be effective in reducing seed borne diseases where the disease status of the seed is unknown

  •        Fertiliser applied Flutriafol can also provide disease suppression up to the end of tillering for foliar diseases, but anecdotally also seems to suppress soil borne diseases.

  •         Cereal seed should either be treated or selected from paddocks that were treated

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General, Farm Management, CroppingFred Broughton