Quality, not cost, should be the main criteria when buying forage seed,
says Michel Tremblay, Saskat-chewan Agriculture’s forage specialist.
“Quality seed is one of the cornerstones of establishing productive,
long-lived forage stands,” said Tremblay.
“Forage seed is often the single largest cash cost input when
establishing a new forage stand and, since most Saskatchewan forage
fields are in production for 10 or more years, it is imperative that
producers select the correct type of seed and the highest quality
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possible.”
Tremblay said quality seed benefits the producer in several ways.
It includes a minimal number of weed seeds that can harm establishment
of the alfalfa or reduce its yield or quality.
If the seed is certified, it will be a registered variety with known
characteristics, including yield, quality, winter hardiness, and
disease and insect resistance. Certified seed will also have high
germination.
“Before buying forage seed, ask to see the seed testing certificate.
Every lot of seed graded in Canada will have this certificate. It is
issued under the authority of the Canada Seeds Act and informs the
purchaser about the purity and germination of a seed lot prior to
purchase.”
The seed testing certificate will have the following information: crop
kind and, if certified, the variety; number and name of primary and
secondary weed seeds present in a 25-gram sample; number and kind of
other weed seeds present in the sample; total number of weed seeds of
all kinds in the sample; germination percentage; pure living seed
percentage; and sample date.
“Do not buy seed that does not have a seed testing certificate
available for examination. Look for seed with 90 percent or higher pure
living seed. It should have been sampled within the last three or four
months, as the germination of seed sampled a year or more prior to the
current date could have dropped by 20 to 30 percent.”
Tremblay said some weeds allowed in certified forage seed may be
considered noxious, so producers should examine the certificate to
avoid spreading those listed in noxious weed legislation.
If buying ungraded seed, producers should insist on obtaining a seed
test certificate from an accredited seed lab to determine the purity,
germination and weed seed status of the seed being considered.
He said producers should always ask to have weed seeds listed by name.
“Equally important to seed quality is the species of seed. There are
many forage species adapted to Saskatchewan’s wide variety of soil and
climate conditions, but producers should avoid buying mixtures that
attempt to suit a broad range of conditions,” he said.
“Monocultures or very simple mixes of well selected species usually
will outperform complex mixes under most conditions.”
Many forage mixes marketed today have a collection of species that are
not complementary in terms of adaptation or production characteristics,
and don’t perform optimally in any situation.
Information on species adaptation, whether alone or in mixes, is
available from extension agrologists.
But, before seeking advice, Tremblay said producers should familiarize
themselves with the characteristics of the land to be seeded, the
intended use of the forage, and the characteristics of the available
species. Then they can make informed decisions on what will work best
in their situation.
