Crop Production Week | Producers should ask if germination levels have been tested for seed grown in 2010
After a disastrous year in 2010, Saskatchewan’s pedigreed seed growers harvested a high quality seed crop in 2011 with good germination rates and no significant disease problems.
As a result, commercial grain growers in most parts of the province should have no problem finding sufficient supplies of top-quality certified seed this year, said Les Trowell, president of the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association.
Some seed growers, particularly those in the province’s eastern and southeastern regions, were heavily affected last year by a wet spring and recurring rainfall throughout May and June, Trowell added.
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Certified seed acreage was down significantly in those areas and supplies for some varieties may be limited.
“Every year there are a few spots where seed quality isn’t that great, but this past year, I think there was some excellent seed taken off around the province,” he said.
“Quantity concerns are probably more (common) in the east and southeastern edge where there was no crop put in.”
Reduced acreage in some parts of the province last spring could mean that significant quantities of 2010 seed were carried forward.
Disease levels in the 2010 seed crop were generally higher and germination rates were lower.
Seed growers that are still selling 2010 seed are encouraged to retest seed supplies to ensure adequate quality and germination.
Commercial grain growers who buy 2010 seed for 2012 planting should ask if germination levels have been retested.
Similarly, 2010 seed that was bought last year and stored on the farm for an extra year should also be retested.
Seed that is stored for an extra season is prone to deterioration, especially if storage conditions are less than ideal.
“It’s not (certain) how much of that crop was saved over … so for those that did carry their seed over, please get it retested to make sure that you have what you think you have,” Trowell said.
Bruce Carriere, owner of Discovery Seed Labs in Saskatoon, told last week’s SSGA annual meeting that pedigreed seed samples from the 2011 harvest are significantly better than they were a year ago.
Germination rates on the large majority of 2011 samples were at or above historical averages.
Disease pathogens were also down significantly.
“The difference between last year and this year can only be described as the difference between an orange and a banana,” Carriere said.
“Last year we had nothing but troubles (with seed quality). This year it’s pretty good.”
He said germination rates are very good for most seed crops harvested last fall.
Wheat, barley and lentil samples were particularly outstanding, with few exceptions.
About 85 percent of wheat samples tested had germination rates of 95 percent or higher.
Germination in barley was almost as high as it’s ever been and lentil samples were beautiful, he added.
“There was a beautiful crop of lentils out there this year and I can guarantee you it’s been a few years since I’ve said that,” Carriere said.
“Just some gorgeous looking stuff out there.”
Flax also looks good and the genetically modified flax variety Triffid did not show up in any pedigreed flax samples.
About three percent of commercial flax samples are still showing traces of the banned variety.
Although disease was not a major concern in 2011, Carriere said fusarium graminearum is becoming more prevalent.
“If you look at all of the graminearum numbers from 2010-11 and compare them to 2011-12, almost without exception … there is an increase,” he said.
“It’s getting more and more prevalent and there’s getting to be more and more samples that are showing positives right across the board.”
Carriere said fusarium didn’t exist in western Saskatchewan as recently as four years ago. Now, the disease is showing up in every crop district.
Winds are carrying the spores further west each year.
“Graminearum numbers are coming up,” he said.
“You’re going to have to learn to live with it and it sucks to be in Alberta because they’re going to be the next recipients of it.”
