Certified Seed makes the difference

Why certified seed? | Fusarium guidelines for cereal seed

Nutrien Ag Solutions recommends Certified seed for your farm. Growing Certified seed is your guarantee of the best genetic strength and varietal purity and your best opportunity to grow a higher yielding crop with improved potential for profit.

Only about 20% of growers in Western Canada make the choice to buy Certified cereal seed with the balance opting for farm-saved. Nutrien Ag Solutions recommends that producers consider using the superior genetics of Proven Seed varieties to achieve maximum production potential for your land.

To register new varieties of cereal seed in Canada, the candidate must have merit. This merit typically comes in the form of improved disease tolerance and accompanying higher yield potential. Growers stand to benefit from these improved agronomic packages.

Contrary to common beliefs, farm-saved seed does not come without cost. There exists the associated commercial value of the crop as well as the potential for lost market opportunities. In addition, there is the cost to the farm of carrying inventory, cleaning, transportation, testing and more. The investment of purchasing high quality Certified seed that is tested and guaranteed is a sound one when compared to bin run.

The choice to grow Certified seed supports the research and development of new and improved varieties in future years. A strong and prosperous industry that is poised to evolve with the needs of the market contributes to the success of farmers both today and in successive generations.

To learn more, visit seedgrowers.ca/farmers

Fusarium guidelines for cereal seed

The issue

F. graminearium is an aggressive pathogen for the development of FHB (Fusarium Head Blight). Kernels with F. graminearium produce the highest concentrations of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). The tolerance for DON in malt barley is zero and as low as 1 ppm for feed grains. A cool and wet growing season across much of the Prairies in 2016 was ideal for fungal pathogen infection. Combined with a wet harvest, the seed industry and growers are detecting higher levels of infection with total fusarium spp., as well as F. graminearum, across all cereal crops this year compared to other years. F. graminearum is presenting on 2016 cereal crops at levels that can impact the ability for seed to be used for planting next year.

Managing the risk

It is a recommended practice to submit seed samples for F. graminearum testing to understand if it is viable for planting. Always send a new sample as fungal spores die at room temperature. Lab results commonly have a 2% variance on F. graminearum results. Growers should follow these practical guidelines when determining whether or not to use farm-saved seed.

Proven by experts

“We are definitely seeing higher levels of infection with total fusarium across all cereal crops compared to other years. The level of F.  graminearum in seed impacts the viability of using that seed for planting. Nutrien Ag Solutions does not recommend using seed if F. graminearum exceeds 5%. If F. graminearum is present but at less than 5% or if total Fusarium spp. exceeds 10%, the use of a registered seed treatment is recommended.” – Coreen Franke, Nutrien Ag Solutions R&D Pathology Manager

The Proven solution

Quality seed sets growers up for success. Certified seed from Proven^® Seed is tested by accredited labs and meets or surpasses industry standards and requirements. The quality of all seed lots are verified prior to the purchase of any lot and delivery to retail. Seed for retail sales in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will have a confirmed F. graminearum level of 5% or less. With the increased presence of F. graminearum, best practices would support the use of a seed treatment registered for control of fusarium.

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