Untreated seed a false economy – Dalgety
29 September 2000
Untreated seed ‘a false economy’ – Dalgety
By Andrew Blake
CEREAL growers seeking to cut costs are being driven to false economies by using grain from the crop store to fill drills, claim seed trade observers.
All the signs are that the winter wheat area will remain much as last season, says Barry Barker, Dalgety Arables national seed manager.
But certified seed sales expected to be down by as much as 25% and mobile seed cleaners are seeing no corresponding increase in business.
This indicates that many more growers are clearly sowing untreated grain straight from the barn, says Mr Barker.
“They wont necessarily lose out on yield, but they could have trouble with establishment and they are more likely to have problems managing their crops,” he warns.
Oxfordshire-based mobile seed processor Bill Eaton believes the fast-growing trend for grain to go directly from store to drill is even more serious.
“I can confirm that it is happening on quite a large scale. We had expected an increase in demand, but it hasnt happened.
“Growers are being forced to economise beyond the point of good farming practice.
“Advice to test against fusarium is sensible, but it is not the whole story. Growers could easily run into trouble with bunt.”
He blames the government. “The suits in Whitehall really have got to protect the national interest.”
Neil Pateman of Bedfordshire-based Banks Agriculture confirms that more farmers are drawing from the heap.
“It is happening, but it is difficult to anticipate what will happen nationwide. If anything, it is probably more prevalent in the north.
“But it is a recipe for disaster, with diseases that we thought we had seen the back of, like bunt and loose smut, rearing their heads again.”
The National Institute of Agricultural Botany reports little upturn in demand for cereal seed testing.
“It is still a bit early for cereals, but we have seen no significant change in the amount done,” says the Official Seed Testing Stations Juno McKee.
“If you sow untested seed you are taking a big risk.”