Growing your own seed could save money and make drilling dates more flexible, but some pre-planning is required at harvest.
Harvest hygiene
Crops grown from certified seed in clean fields following a break crop could potentially be savedfor use as farm saved seedbut these crops should be free from weeds, including wild oats, brome, volunteers and off-types, advises ADAS arable crop pathologist Rebecca Joynt.
鈥淧referably taking the seed from weed-free fields first and fields free from contaminating cereals crops such as wheat, barley and oats. Also make sure the crop has a clean edge by mowing any ingress from the field margin.鈥�
If possible, growers should also avoid saving seed from fields containing black-grass, although this can be cleaned out at or after harvest.
鈥淗owever, you will always run that risk of black-grass being present,鈥� says Ms Joynt.
Crops should have received a robust ear wash application and should not be treated with pre-harvest glyphosate.
Ms Joynt adds: 鈥淎t harvest make sure the combine is clean 鈥� this will involve opening up areas such as the stone trap, augers and elevator. Combine the seed crop at the optimum timing, threshing gently to avoid damaging the grain.鈥�
Seed should be stored well, away from any possible contamination.
After harvest, a sample should be sent for germination testing and seed-borne diseases, and cleaned with the thousand seed weight measured. It should also be cleaned to remove any unwanted weed seed, particularly bigger seeds such as brome and wild oats, Ms Joynt says.
Seed-borne disease
The risk of seed-borne diseases can be increased when using home saved seed. To reduce this risk, home saved seed should be inspected to assess the visual level of diseases present.
AHDB also advises that wheat should be tested for bunt and microdochium seedling blight; and ergot, loose smut, septoria nodorum and fusarium seedling blights if a problem is suspected or it is present in the growing crop.
In barley, test for loose smut, leaf stripe and net blotch. Tests for ergot, covered smut andfusarium graminearumshould also be conducted if a problem is suspected, butmicrodochiumis less of a concern in barley.
If disease levels are below the advised levels and germination is greater than 78 per cent, a fungicide seed treatment is not usually required, according to AHDB. However, consider all disease threats, especially if drilling late into cold soils.
Ms Joynt says: 鈥淧otential disease risk is influenced by many factors such as region, cropping history and weather. For example, fusarium risk is higher if the harvest is wet or if maize features in the rotation; however, diseases such as loose smut are less easily predicted and infections can rapidly spread between neighbouring crops, especially in windy conditions.鈥�
To see disease thresholds, visit ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/seedborne-diseases-of-cereals-tests-and-thresholds
Seed treatments
Where disease levels exceed set standards or thresholds the seed should not be saved or an appropriate seed treatment should be applied.
Ms Joynt says: 鈥淭here are many fungicide seed treatments available, which provide control of seed-borne diseases including bunt, septoria and seedling blights, covered and loose smuts, leaf stripe, leaf spot, net blotch and snow mould.
鈥淥ther crop protection seed treatments include the active ingredient cypermethrin, which can be applied for reduction of wireworm and wheat bulb fly, and silthiofam, which can be applied for reduction of take-all. There is also a large range of biostimulant seed treatments available to growers, with label claims to improve establishment and germination.鈥�
For more information on seed treatment options, visit: ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/foliar-fungicide-activity-and-seed-treatment-options-for-wheat
Pay your royalties
Under the Plant Varieties Act 1997, farmers must declare the use of all farm saved seed and pay royalties for the use of eligible varieties. These payments support continued investment in improved varieties, bred for UK conditions.
Declarations should be sent to the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) and the legal requirement to declare applies whether the seed has been processed or taken straight from the barn.
51AV视频saved seeduse can be reported to theBSPBusing any of thesefour methods:
- Send back the declaration form in the envelope provided
- Email BSPB at[email protected]
- Make an online declaration for combinable crops and/or potatoes via
- Call the BSPB farm saved seed helpline on 01353 653 209
