Seed Testing Survey Tina Tillery ENCRUSTED, COATED AND PELLETED POACEAE SPP

Sent survey to Only 7 responses! How pathetic is that? 150 Laboratories

1.  Occasionally = 1  No = 2  Yes = 4 Does your laboratory test encrusted, coated or pelleted Poaceae spp. seed on a regular basis?

2. & 3.  Yes = 6  No = 1 = use Canada M & P Do you follow AOSA rules for testing encrusted, coated, pelleted seed? If not, what is your procedure.

4.  No, we weigh before and after wash and calculate the difference.  No = 2  Yes = 2  Yes, however we think this needs to be changed.  Have never tested this before When testing Poaceae spp. that is encrusted, does your lab sieve the coating and add to the inert matter?

5.  The inert percentage generally matches the label percentages.  When adding sieved coating to inert, we find a higher inert percentage.  Higher. If so, do you find that you have higher, lower or average expected inert percentages?

6.  Yes = 1  Sometimes = 3  No = 2  NA = 1 Do you find the coating material difficult to remove?

7.  AOSA Rules are applied and gentle rubbing if necessary.  Soak and wash in water with agitation. Wash with vinegar if coating is more difficult to remove. Allow washed sample to dry overnight before analysis.  Rinse under running water.  Place seed in beaker with stir bar in very warm (almost hot water) and stir for about a minute. Then pour seed into strainer and use running water (warm) and wash until coating is removed and water runs clear. Then place seed on blotter and dry overnight. The next day the purity and/or germination test is run. What method do you use to remove the coating material?

7.  Place coated seed in 4 X 4 box with water and put a lid on. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour seed into strainer with small enough holes to not lose kind of seed and rinse under running water until water runs clear and seed appears clean, approx. 30 sec. Place seed in large coffee filter and place on drying rack for germ only. Place seed on blotter in 6 X 9 box for overnight if purity test.  IF we removed the coating, we would wash it, using a strainer.  Wash with warm water through a fine mesh screen. What method do you use to remove the coating material? continued

8.  Yes = 4  Coating is not usually completely removed.  I’ve only removed coating from alfalfa and bermudagrass.  Most times, but sometimes some coating is left on the seed. Do you feel that your coating removal method is sufficient in removing the coating from the seed?

9.  No = 2  Yes = 4  We are a regulatory lab, if it is coated we deal with it. I don’t bother to look at the composition of the coating. Do you test encrusted, coated, pelleted Poaceae spp. that incorporates a fertilizer in the coating?

10.  Yes  Some coatings are more difficult to remove.  On some samples, yes. The method we use seems sufficient, but on some samples, we have difficulty in removing the coating completely.  Slightly, but our method seems to work fine. May need to shake longer that 30 sec.  Have not noticed any difference, but have not watched for a difference. If so, do you find this type of coating more difficult to remove?

11.  Yes, it just takes longer.  Yes = 4 Do you use the same method of removing the incorporated fertilizer coating as for the coated samples that do not incorporate fertilizer?

12.  hours  Requires washing and overnight drying so 24 hours is added for the removal process. Analysis will take longer due to presence of small amounts of coating material, perhaps 25% longer.  I have never timed it but it probably takes 3 times as long.  Purity takes longer due to washing the sample and then checking inert, due to not being able to use the blowing method. I would venture to say about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Approximately, how much longer does it take your laboratory to test a Poaceae spp. single seeded kind that is encrusted, coated, pelleted versus a non- encrusted, coated, pelleted sample?

12.  For purity – I would say it takes a little longer because not able to blow it, but not significant.  Have not ever removed encrusted, coated, pelleted. .5 hour prep time + can take from a few minutes to.75 hour more. Depends on how well the coating came off. Approximately, how much longer does it take your laboratory to test a Poaceae spp. single seeded kind that is encrusted, coated, pelleted versus a non-encrusted, coated, pelleted sample? Continued

13.  25 – 28 hours  Mixtures take longer even when not coated so adding 25% to 30% longer is probably a good estimate.  The problem is the coating – about 3 times as long.  Purity takes longer due to the fact that you must separate tall fescue, ryegrass, and fine fescue. When coated and washed, it makes the sample more difficult. Maybe 30 to 40 minutes longer. Approximately, how much longer does it take your laboratory to test a Poaceae spp mixture that is encrusted, coated, pelleted versus a non-encrusted, coated, pelleted sample?

13.  It only takes a little more time because it is a little harder to check ryegrass in tall fescue and tall fescue in fine fescue because the wetting and drying process changes the look of the seeds. Maybe adds 15 to 30 minutes depending on what the mix is.  Depends on the species in the mixture. Can take up to 2 times (or more) as long as a non coated sample. Approximately, how much longer does it take your laboratory to test a Poaceae spp mixture that is encrusted, coated, pelleted versus a non-encrusted, coated, pelleted sample? continued

14.  Extend the ‘plant in 72 hours’ to no time deadline. Study done over three months showing the seed we bulk decoated and planted every 2 weeks are equal in germination to the seed we freshly decoated and planted every 2 week from the same sample.  Extend the ‘overnight’ drying period to at least 24 to 36 hours. When drying in hood (limited space) the samples dry fine overnight. But due to the amount of samples we test, sometimes we have to dry by placing blotters on carts. These sample do not dry as fast and need extra time. If you could make changes in the AOSA rules for testing Poaceae spp encrusted, coated, pelleted seed, what would they be?

14.  We would like to see the blowing point method added back to purities.  Add back blowing point for bluegrass.  Not sieve loose coating material before washing.  Change the rule for adding sieved coating to the inert. Coating is coating. We have tested many samples that have been moved from shelf to storage and back many times. When this happens, the bags are tossed around and the coating is beat off the seed. This in turn produces a large amount of loose coating. Rule proposal pending. If you could make changes in the AOSA rules for testing Poaceae spp encrusted, coated, pelleted seed, what would they be? continued

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