On This Episode of ‘Survivor’: Seeds

Without seed germination, there’d be no crop. Needless to say, germination is critical to every farmer. Temperature, moisture, soil pH, diseases, insects and a variety of other factors can impact seed germination.

Ignacio Ciampitti, associate professor in farming systems at Kansas State University, said seed survival starts by selecting high seed quality.

“One of the things we emphasize is the importance of selecting high seed quality to ensure we have good germination,” said Ciampitti. “That’s one of the main impacts from the farmer’s standpoint —the ability of that plant to germinate.”

Last year brought increased rainfall and wet planting conditions, both of which have effects on this year’s seed quality. If you’re faced with having the variety of seed you want or need potentially having lower germination rates, Ciampitti suggests increasing seeding rates.

University of Illinois Extension offers an online, interactive soybean seeding calculator that can provide a percentage calculation for projected emergence based on a few factors, including acres in the field, row spacing and driving speed.

Storage and handling are a few other factors that can affect the quality of your seed before planting.

“If we look at the factors before planting, I think everything connected to how you handle the seed plays a role. For example, how the seed was cleaned can play a large role,” Ciampitti said. “In some situations, if storage was poor or the seeds were stored in very wet storage conditions, that can reduce germination rates.”

Moisture and seed survival

A new set of challenges comes after planting. Once seeds are in the soil, there are numerous elements that affect germination and ultimately the emergence process.

“I would say environmental factors are the most critical,” Ciampitti said. “For example, temperature, soil moisture and other soil factors such as pH levels.”

Varying temperatures, too much or too little moisture, oxygen content of the soil and any potential disease or insect damage can significantly impact the growth of the seeds, resulting in different-sized plants in the field.

 “We have done a few studies that show when the temperature is not a factor, planting a seed in the right soil moisture condition is important to ensure that seed will germinate, grow and emerge,” said Ciampitti.

Ciampitti conducted field studies that demonstrated how moisture affected the emergence and growth of soybean seeds.

 “The study resulted in very different sizes of plants. If the seeds didn’t receive rain very quickly, they finished at a very small size,” said Ciampitti. “If you are planting and placing a seed with the right moisture conditions, you will have more uniformity.”

Kansas Soybean Commission provided funding to look at best management practices for soybeans focusing early and late in the growing season.

And it’s not just about rain at the right time. Too much moisture impacts the seed growth as well. According to the study, overly wet soil conditions will slow emergence and make soil susceptible to compaction, which limits root growth and causes poor plant-to-plant uniformity after emergence. Yet, even in saturated conditions, soybeans still have a fighting chance.

“If soybeans are submerged for less than 48 hours, there’s a good chance they will survive,” said Ciampitti. “In some situations, they can even survive up to seven days in really cool temperatures.”

If water damage occurs in the field, Ciampitti recommends waiting until standing water has receded to assess the damage. Start by examining the growing point of the plant. If the growing point is soft and dark, it was damaged. If the growing point sustains damage, it is unlikely the plant will grow any more.

Soil impacts survival

Soil conditions can also impact the amount of oxygen in the soil, which affects rhizobia, the nodules on soybean roots that convert nitrogen in the atmosphere to plant-available nitrogen. This adds an additional consideration to seed survival.

“Now you not only need to be concerned about what is affecting the plant, but also what is affecting the growing conditions of the nodulation,” Ciampitti said.

There are many factors impacting nodulation, including temperature and precipitation. For example, high temperatures during planting time affect the efficiency of the rhizobia, especially when it’s combined with dry conditions. Alternatively, flooding conditions can create a lack of oxygen in the soil and may cause rhizobia to die.

“If the nodulation is impacted, the soybean field could lose yield,” Ciampitti said.

New research, funded by the checkoff, from Kansas State University in the areas of nitrogen fixation and inoculation could have positive effects on seed survival and yields.

“The idea is to find ways we can increase the potential of the plant to fix nitrogen,” he said. “We know if the plant can expand its potential ways to increase nitrogen, then we can increase yields.”

Know when to make your planting move

Choosing the right time to plant means considering all these factors —temperature, moisture, soil pH. Each are necessary for seed survival. If seeds are planted in the right conditions before they emerge, they will be more resilient against disease, insect or weed pressures after they emerge.

Plant resiliency results in less pesticide applications, which reduces the opportunity for resistance to develop. IWillTakeAction.com, a checkoff-funded program committed to stopping the spread of resistance, has resources for farmers to utilize on the farm.

“If you are planting in the wrong soil conditions with less than ideal temperature or moisture, you are essentially setting up the seed for failure,” Ciampitti said.

Ciampitti encourages farmers considering planting early —with right soil temperature and moisture ‚Äî  to see the value of seed protection. Seed protection comes in a variety of forms, from seed treatments and pesticides to simply not planting in too wet or too dry conditions.

“When planting early, the plant will take longer to emerge, which leaves the seed more susceptible to environmental factors.” said Ciampitti. “Seed protection becomes more important to ensure survival.”

Bubba Simmons, Mississippi farmer and checkoff farmer-leader, said when you’re faced with seed challenges, sometimes all you can do is be flexible.

“We get a lot of rainfall in general, so we have to be able to adapt,” he said. “You have to be flexible.”

With all factors considered, giving seed the best chance of survival is critical for a successful 2020 crop. Tools in farmers’ toolbelts can range from seed treatments, pesticides or simply timing their planting correctly.