Seed Treatments for Small Grain Cereals

A seed treatment includes any compound or process applied to seed in order to reduce damage by organisms that infest the seed surface, infect tissue inside the seed, live in soil where the seed will be placed, or attack young seedlings. Compounds discussed in this publication include organic chemicals and microbial formulations that are applied to suppress damage by pathogenic fungi, insects, or parasitic nematodes. Other biological and chemical products enhance seedling vigor in the following ways: • Provide plant nutrition (e.g., Seed Life) • Encourage growth of native organisms that kill fungi (e.g., YEA!) • Protect seedlings from herbicides (e.g., activated charcoal) • Supply symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., inoculants for legumes) Processes can be chemical and physical. They include treatment of seed with surface sterilizing substances (e.g., hot water or Chlorox) or sanitizing energy in the form of microwaves, magnetic energy, or electron bombardment (e.g., E-Dressing).