Low cost mercury replacement cereal seed treatment

Abstract

Since the withdrawal of organo-mercury, and with the introduction of the new generation products, seed treatment cost have risen dramatically. As a low cost alternative, dithiocarbamate based products were used to treat a range of infected cereal seed. In a series of trials between 1992 and 1995, these low cost treatments proved to be effective at controlling Michrodochium nivale (seedling blight) in winter wheat and Pyrenophora graminea (leaf stripe) in spring barley.

This control was similar to that provided by commercial treatments tested alongside. The low cost treatments also produced useful suppression of Tilletia caries (bunt) and Ustilago nuda (loose smut). This project demonstrates that there is potential to provide competent, cheaper cereal seed treatments from amongst the range of currently available products.