Seed pelleting

Pellet

Pellet

Seed pelleting set off the development of all seed technologies over seventy years ago, and Germains was the first to create a pellet for sugar beet seed which has expanded into a number of vegetable crops. Because many vegetable seeds are small, light, and irregular in shape, Germains offers various pellets for precision planters.

Our seed pellets are developed for specific growing regions or conditions. We offer several sizes and weights that are suitable for today’s crops. In addition, pellets may be stacked with other technologies such as priming and health technologies to help maximize your crop’s potential from planting to harvest.

Seed pelleting technologies offer many benefits, including:


Please contact us today for more information about our seed pelleting technologies and pricing.

A tan, heavy, split-type seed pellet offering excellent plantability and uniform placement.

Species availability:
Endive, Escarole, Lettuce, Radicchio, Tobacco

A versatile white, heavy, melting seed pellet that allows rapid oxygen uptake, also known as propellet® heavy. Popular among leafy vegetable growers located in the Pacific Northwest and California growing regions.

Species availability:
Endive, Escarole, Lettuce, Radicchio

High-quality lightweight seed pellet, also known as propellet® light, is commonly used in coastal regions of California.

Species availability:
Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber/Gherkin, Endive, Escarole, Jalapeno, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Onion/Shallot, Parsnip, Pepper, Radicchio, Red Beet, Tomatoes

Proflo is a seed encrustment coating that increases the seed size and weight to help improve singulation when planted with a vacuum seeder. Proflo improves singulation during planting vs. planting raw seed while making the seed more visible in the soil. Unlike the traditional round pellet with a specific pellet size, encrustments maintain the seed’s natural shape while adding bulk and weight to the seed so that it flows through vacuum planters with fewer skips and doubles.

Key benefits:

  • Improved integrity for easy planting and singulation
  • Significant reduction in dust-off
  • Elimination of buildup requirements for FarMore® applications
  • Finished desired seed count accuracy ranging from 55K to 95K +/- 5K seed per lb
  • Reduction in the number of doubles and skips
onion seed encrustment

New proflo seed encrustment for onions

Germains R&D team recently reformulated the conventional proflo seed encrustment for onions. The new formula enhanced the encrustment’s integrity, reduced dust-off, and improved the accuracy of the final coated seed count per lb. to meet planter specifications.

R&D summary:

This product is designed to build to seed count accuracy (±5000) by customer’s preference. It was launched only after passing all tests conducted in our laboratory and field trials for a couple of years. Proflo passed plantability and pellet integrity tests using an air planter at variable disc speed and vacuum pressure. While performing the air planter test, data were generated for seed flowability on doubles, skips, broken seeds, and dust-off.

The air planter handled all seed treatments as per expectation without crumbling or damaging seed with minimal or no dust-off. Seed count targets were met successfully with each build runs to target seed counts. Dust-off was reduced by 80% over standard proflo. Chemical loading (F300 and FI 500) tests remained within the target range as per the product’s rate of application recommendations. Field trials also met or exceeded expectations on seed emergence, total germination, and applicable transplant requirement.

Final seed count accuracy testing:

Extensive testing has been conducted to achieve accuracy for accommodating requests for final seed counts.

onion seed encrustment
Three color options:

onion seed encrustment

Species availability:
Carrot, Endive, Escarole, Lettuce, Marigold, Onion/Shallot, Parsnip, Radicchio

An upgrade to our standard seed encrustment, proflo precise, is a heavier build than our standard encrustment and designed to improve singulation and flow through precision planters that helps to increase planting speed. Initially formulated for baby leaf lettuce producers seeking to reduce the wear on planter sponges and improve precision planting accuracy.  Due to grower demand, proflo precise is now available for gherkin!

Species availability:
Cucumber/Gherkin, Gherkin, Lettuce

Strong roots deliver strong transplants.

Propellet elite is a targeted, precise approach for enhancing seed genetics for optimal seedling establishment. By adding essential micronutrients to the pellet, the seed’s radical begins to absorb nutrients as soon as it emerges, helping to strengthen the seedling root and foliage mass to withstand the field transplant process.

Key benefits

  • Promotes vigorous canopy development
  • Enhances root development
  • Aids early plant development, so seedlings
    withstand transport and field transplanting
  • Improves stand counts to increase yield potential

Propellet elite is an innovative solution to a grower’s problem

Propellet elite product development began with a single customer inquiry. A commercial celery grower was experiencing crop loss when transporting seedlings from the greenhouse to the field. The customer contacted Germains to see if a seed technology could be developed to improve celery seedling vigor and root mass for transplanting. Based on the grower’s circumstances, Germains’ Research and Development team customized an existing seed pellet by combining it with beneficial health products that deliver stronger roots and canopy vigor to improve the crop’s overall performance from transplant to harvest.

ProPellet elite Trial Data

Product summary

Since 2014, propellet elite continues to aid the successful establishment of thousands of acres of celery each year. Due to grower recognition of its beneficial properties and the need for cost-effective solutions to enhance seed performance in the greenhouse and the field, the elite seed technology is now available as a pellet and filmcoat for carrots, jalapenos, and tomatillos.

This conventional seed technology enables jalapenos and tomatillo growers to bypass transplanting and direct sow into the field to save on transplant costs. Carrots, jalapenos, and tomatillos thrive in the field when planted with nutrient-rich propellet elite and filmcoat elite. Ask a Germains representative for more information!

Species availability:
Carrot, Celery, Jalapeno, Tomatillo

Prosun is a seed coating for sunflowers that provides added weight and a smooth, slick finish that enables sunflower seeds to flow smoothly through planters. Designed for precision air planters, Prosun seed coating helps growers achieve accurate field populations. Prosun pellets may be applied to raw or treated seeds.  Seed distributors may provide crop protection chemicals for application as a filmcoat during the coating process.

Key benefits:

  • Adds weight to seed for improved placement in the field
  • Maximizes flowability through planters
  • Uniform coating and seed sizing
  • Precision application of agrochemicals

*Not recommended for air seeders or finger planters

sunflower seed pellet

Germination and emergence trial result

No significant differences in germination or emergence were observed. Data represents four trials combined: NDSU REC’s Carrington & Minot 2017, 2018. Four varieties/seed fields were tested in each trial. Sizes within a seed lot originated from the same seed field. Seeds were counted equally between treatments and planted with a cone planter.

seed coating for sunflowers

Precision Planting | Raw vs. prosun®

Skips and multiples trial results

Number per 100 feet of row. Data represent three trials combined. NDSU REC’s Carrington 2017, 2018, Minot 2018. Two varieties were tested in each trial. Sizes within a variety from the same seed field.

seed coating for sunflowers

Improve Singulation Reduce Multiples Raw vs. prosun® 

Sunflower yield improvement

No differences in oil content, moisture, or test weight were observed. Data represent two varieties tested at each of the three trials. 2017-2018 NDSU Research Extension Center (REC), Carrington, ND, 2018 NDSU REC, Minot ND. All sizes from the same seed field. Revenue was calculated using an average NuSun selling price of $16.67, Enderlin, ND (Source: NSA Daily Market News).

seed coating for sunflowers

Accurate Spacing to Improve Yield Raw vs. prosun®

Added crop protection | Pretreated seed application

Prosun is a seed coating for sunflowers that may be applied to raw or treated seeds. Seed distributors may provide crop protection chemicals as a filmcoat during the coating process. Please speak with your seed distributor about crop protection products they may have available.

Species availability:
Sunflower, Sunflower