Laboratory Tests Of Field Crop Seeds As Indicators Of Seeding Value

Laboratory Tests of Field Crop Seeds as Indicators of Seeding Value

Proceedings of the Association of Official Seed Analysts

Testing Farm Seed

Iowa is a major crop- and seed-producing area. More acres of corn and oats are grown in Iowa than in any other state, and most of the seed of these crops for Iowa farmers is produced within the state. Furthermore, in 1943 over 95 percent of the corn acreage was planted with hybrid seed, and over 60 percent of the oat acreage was planted with seed of new rust-resistant varieties. Other seed crops of importance in Iowa are soybeans, bluegrass, timothy, wheat, flax, bromegrass, red clover, sweet clover, sudan grass, sweet corn, watermelon and sorghum. The yield and quality of a crop harvested each year is dependent in part on the quality of seed that is planted and the only way to know the quality factors of purity, vitality, weed seed content and sanitation is to test seed prior to planting. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide teachers and farmers with information about the need for clean seed and methods of testing seed with special emphasis on determination of pure seed, identification, of weed and crop seeds, germination tests and use of seed disinfectants for the control of molds that cause disease.