With so many crops damaged by weather this year, it might be a good idea to start thinking earlier than usual about next year’s seed supply.
“Good seed is going to be at a premium,” said Grant McLean, a crop specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw.
“Because a large portion of Western Canada had less than ideal conditions for harvest, plus the early frost, I think it is prudent to try to allocate seed resources early or start looking for them early.”
Bruce Carriere, owner of Discovery Seed Labs in Saskatoon, said it will be another week or two before a complete picture becomes clear, but with the samples received so far, seed quality is going to be an issue.
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So far, southwestern Saskatchewan appears to be the source of the best seed samples sent to the lab.
“As you radiate from that southwest corner, the properties of the seed decrease greatly.
“Wheats are all over the board, from 10 percent germination to 99 percent germ. Vigour is down substantially on the lower quality stuff.”
Pulse samples generally have high disease levels.
Pea germination rates are fairly good but lentil germination rates are down as are vigour rates, he said.
With quality doubtful, no one can afford to take a chance with untested seed, McLean said. Producers should be sending potential seed lots to an accredited lab for testing.
Doing it early will avoid delays in the spring when the labs are backed up.
If a farmer can’t avoid less than optimal quality seed, he will probably have to adjust seeding plans, McLean added.
When a producer has ideal seed, he can push the window on seeding dates, balancing the opportunity of an early start with the risk of cool soil and fickle spring weather.
“But if you have marginal seed you might be asking for trouble because you are putting one more stressor on a weak seed.”
The potential seed shortage could be good news for lucky farmers who got a break during harvest and have quality seed in their bins.
McLean said they should look into the opportunity to sell some grain into the seed market instead of the lower priced commodity market. When selling seed, farmers must be aware of the restrictions set out in the Seed Act, such as the prohibition on using a variety name on common seed.
