Seed treatment on wheat

[Ache4Acres]

Anyone feel strongly about seed treatment on durum and hrsw?

Lots of mixed reports out there on helping vs harming yields

Raxil Pro?

[farmaholic]

What's the quality of the seed... germination and disease?

Seeding into cold wet dirt or warm moist dirt?

IMO you'll get crop establishment benefits only if conditions and seed is suspect to start with.... mid-growing season issues need another "remedy".

Use it always if you have money burning a hole in
your pocket even if there is no economic payback.

I'm sure there is Company data that proves its benefits, regardless of given conditions and seed quality.

You want to make a bit more money farming? Don't
spend money on inputs that won't net a profit....and do a bit of a better job marketing what you grow....gain on both ends.

There, that pearl of wisdom may be worth exactly what I got paid for it...nothing!

Now to practice what I preach.

[bigzee]

We use Raxil Pro, if you have high fuzz levels it's a no brainer. You have to just trust it it's doing the job.

[Klause]

Seed treatments actually cost yield... been shown multiple times.


Get your seed tested, if it's clean put it in the ground. If it isn't then treat it.


Cruiser products with the insecticide for some reason give the plants a "pop". But, they are very pricey.


Pulses it's a no brainer.

[lakenheath]

I agree with farmaholic, seed treatments can be effective in certain situations but we should should be cognizant of the fact that they shouldn't be over used.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2011/130289/#B63

[lakenheath]

3. Conclusion

Fungicidal compounds may have side effects and impact non-target soil microorganism. The effects of fungicides on soil microorganisms can be important, as the feedback of the soil microbial community can affect crops growth and production in cropping systems. The relationships existing between fungicides, the soil microorganisms, and other environmental factors are complex and difficult to predict. On the other hand, the multiplicity of fungicides’ modes of action increases the difficulty of evaluating the risks associated with fungicide use. Since it is desirable to optimize the benefit of natural soil biological functions to crop production, understanding fungicides mode of action and impact on metabolism could help us using fungicide more wisely in agriculture.

[biglentil]

Ya its great nothin like having concentrated poison get absolutely everywhere. Then get to watch the untreated stuff outperform and outyield.

[freewheat]

When I started farming, I frittered away a lot of time, energy, and money treating seed. I have not treated cereal seed for years and years now. One can nickel and dime themselves to death. Micros, growth regulators, seed treatments, this app, that app, and on and on it goes.

[Ache4Acres]

Here is one seemingly decent non-industry funded study

http://www.usask.ca/soilsncrops/conference-proceedings/previous_years/Files/2006/2006docs/044.pdf


Conclusion
Based on our observations, we conclude that registered seed treatments currently available in Canada were not effective in consistently improving the agronomic performance of Fusarium-infected barley or wheat seed lots
planted in eastern regions of Saskatchewan. The use of uninfected seed lots is recommended.

[lakenheath]

Interesting study but those are some pretty dated chemistries going back to 2004. I don't think you can apply those conclusions to today's treatments.

[fjlip]

Going by all the hype and advertising, guessing chem corps are NOT selling much of the seed treatments.
Long time since any used here and not planning to ever use any.

[Ache4Acres]

How many folks run treated canola? Or is that different, and why?

[jake550]

Treating wheat is a waste of money and time. Unless you like breathing pink dust in filling the drill.

[newguy]

Watched a bunch of test trays of durum germinate at my local dealer.ended up the company that was doing the test did not have best results.Sure would not have wanted not to treat the seed they used.A real eye opener.untreated weak sick slow growing.

[SASKFARMER3]

We treat our wheat seed in Early cold spring seeding. After may long weekend its a waste of time. Ground warm seed up in two to three days.
But first week of may in our mud cool area you treat seed.