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Can anyone tell me why certified wheat seed always seems to yield better?
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tkoppel
Posted 12/16/2014 18:59 (#4244952 - in reply to #4244141)
Subject: RE: Can anyone tell me why certified wheat seed always seems to yield better?


Sanilac Co. Michigan
I too have found a large difference in yield between certified and the saved seed I have cleaned. I've had the same variety of Soft White sown side by side, one certified and the other year out. The certified always yields 10% better.

I spent some time with John Diehl of DH Seed in Dansville, Mi, and learned what I thought was a lot! Not all certified seed is cleaned to the same level, some go beyond the minimal requirements. How the raw seed is handled is a part of it. Well conditioned seed not only has a great germ, but the uniformity of seed size is of top importance. There should be very little variation in the actual seed size (narrow deviation from the mean). This means it has to make more than a pass through a fanning mill. The batch may make repeated trips across a gravity table after being screened thoroughly, all in order to get seed lots as uniform as humanly possible. Some seed varieties require extra measures in order to get seed to conform to type and class. Seed treatment can make a huge difference, not all treatments are equal.

For me the bottom line is this: A great wheat crop is an expensive crop to grow. Lots of fertilize, herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, and a lot of labor and attention to detail. Why in the world would anyone want to cut their yield potential short by saving a few buck by sowing an inferior product? Kinda like putting Model T wheels and tires on a formula one racer, don't hobble yourself!

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