Seed Treatment Performance Guidelines for Leafy Crops

Whether vegetable seeds are treated or not, it is important for seed distributors and the growers they serve handle seeds with proper care and in the right storage conditions.  You can’t control the natural environment once you plant your seeds, but you can certainly increase the odds for a successful crop by taking precautions when handling your seeds. To help ensure the germination of your seeds and the outcome of your crops, Germains recommends proper seed handling as suggested in the Seed Treatment Performance Guidelines for Leafy Crops.

Seed Treatment Performance Guidelines for Leafy Crops

• All seeds planted under extreme heat conditions carry a risk of suboptimal emergence. Some of the suboptimal growing conditions that can affect emergence, such as, but not limited to improper bed preparation, extreme soil temperatures at the time of planting, the timing of irrigation application, seed genetics, inappropriate selection of Germains product type to growing location and conditions plus other farming, cultural practices.
• Germains testing and suitability criteria require 97% or greater emergence at 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees C). Germains provides emergence and germination results for review in combination with the customer’s expected market and growing conditions. Seed not meeting these criteria due to quality and or dormancy issues may be rejected for processing, or a recommendation may be made to improve results by priming, which will require consultation with Germains. Priming is a tool to help improve the speed and uniformity of emergence under both light and dark conditions and raise the thermos dormancy cut off point.
• All seed should be stored in cool, dry conditions. Germains recommends storage conditions of 40% or less humidity and temperatures not to exceed 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees C). Germains recommends planting product within six months of the product label date. Depending upon a range of conditions, seed can be stored for 18 months; however, products should be tested for germination and emergence every six months from the product label date.
• Germains Product Performance Guidelines must be adhered to at the point of sale to Germains customer and throughout the transfer of resale of the product to customers through the retail chain. It is the responsibility of Germains’ point of sale customer to educate and inform any resale or transfer customer regarding Germains Product Performance Guidelines. All of Germains standard germ conditions apply.
• Customers who do not follow Germains Product Performance Guidelines do so at their own risk.

Germains strives to maximize the potential of all the seeds we process. However, the performance of a seed variety and treatments can be compromised by the conditions that the seed is subjected to as it moves through the supply chain to the end consumer. If you have any questions about the Performance Guidelines or wish to receive guidelines for other species, please contact us today!