Test farm-saved seed to avoid a false economy

Many growers use home-saved cereal seed to reduce establishment costs. Emma Willis explains how testing and cleaning seed can help avoid the common pitfalls associated with this technique.

In the right circumstances, farm-saved seed can be an excellent option and offer savings compared with certified seed.

But the success of the technique rests on one simple question.

Unlike certified seed, farm-saved seed does not need to be officially tested for germination, purity, disease levels and contaminant thresholds.

Although a seed sample may look clean and healthy in the shed, appearances rarely tell the full story.

Seed performance can be negatively impacted by:

• Weather during grain fill and harvest
• Seedborne diseases
• Mechanical damage during combining

The real cost of poor-quality seed is often only seen after drilling through:

• Poor emergence
• Reduced vigour
• Uneven crop establishment
• Lower yield potential

The good news is that the risks can largely be managed by testing seed samples – before the seed is cleaned or treated – for germination potential and seedborne diseases.

Although only 300–500 g of grain is typically required for testing, it needs to be representative of the grain from which it was extracted, which requires additional sampling. The number of samples needed depends on the size of the lot.

Germination tests indicate how much of the seed lot is likely to establish successfully. Ideally, you should not use seed if the germination rate is below 78%.

The wider health of the seed is also critical.

Disease testing can identify potential issues that could impact the next crop, from establishment and beyond.

Testing identifies the presence of many important seedborne diseases, such as loose smut, bunt and key microdochium and fusarium species.  

Where disease levels exceed the regulatory standards or advisory thresholds, apply an appropriate seed treatment or do not use the seed.

Do not overlook contaminants either.

Effective seed cleaning will help remove weed seeds, ergot, damaged grain and other unwanted material and improve both seed quality and drilling performance.

Farm-saved seed can reduce costs, but only if its quality is right.

Seed testing and cleaning is particularly important in seasons where conditions are challenging.

Wet weather around harvest is especially problematic. However, the crop stress from this year’s hot and dry conditions during grain fill may have produced seed with reduced reserves and potentially lower vigour.

Although it is not a legal requirement to test and clean farm-saved seed, the cheapest seed can quickly become the most expensive, if poor establishment or disease issues follow.

Make sure you test any home-saved seed first and drill second.