In a 1969 survey, a total of 450 samples of oats, barley, hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, and flax were taken during the spring planting season. These samples were collected in 23 eastern South Dakota counties. Several questions were asked the operator about each seed lot at the time the sample was collected. The samples were analyzed at the Seed Testing Laboratory at South Dakota State University for percent of pure seed, kind and number per pound of all crop seed, common weed seeds, noxious weed seeds, and germination. A copy of the analysis was sent to the cooperator

Colburn, J. D.

Kinch, R. C.

English

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South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeBulletins South Dakota State University AgriculturalExperiment Station11-1-1971South Dakota Seed Quality: A Drillbox SurveyR. C. KinchJ. D. ColburnFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletinsThis Bulletin is brought to you for free and open access by the South Dakota State University Agricultural Experiment Station at Open PRAIRIE: OpenPublic Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bulletins by an authorizedadministrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, pleasecontact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationKinch, R. C. and Colburn, J. D., "South Dakota Seed Quality: A Drillbox Survey" (1971). Bulletins. Paper 594.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins/594South Dakota seed qualitv A Drillbox Survev Bulletin 589 November 1971 The number per pound of noxious or common weeds or crop seeds in a seed sample is reported back in one or two days time if "purity only" is re­quested of seed samples sent to the Seed Testing Laboratory, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S. D .. , 57006. Identifications are made free of charge by the Seed Labora­tory on all individual seeds sent to it. Specific crop variety identi­fications can seldom be made by examination of the seed. Purchasing certified seed in­sures correct variety identifica­tion. Contents Summary and Conclusions __________ 3 Results of Analyses ---------------·-------- 5 Germination ---------------------------------- 7 Origin of Samples-------------------------- 7 Cleaning Seed -------------------------------- 8 Seed Quality Factors ______________________ 8 Yield Studies of Drillbox Samples 9 2M-1-73-92 I ) Summary and Conclus ions ------------A total of 450 seed samples of oats, wheat, barley and flax was col­lected from farmer's drill boxes in 23 eastern South Dakota counties and analyzed for purity and germ­ination. Samples represented near­ly 0.5% of the total acreage of these spring grain crops planted in South Dakota in 1969. About one out of five of all sam­ples had contamination of one or more of the primary noxious weed seeds. Twelve percent of the sam­ples contained quackgrass seed and 6% contained field bindweed seeds. More than 6,000 acres of crop land were actually planted with these primary noxious weed infest­ed samples. When the total state planted acreage of these four crops is considered, it indicates that al­most a million acres of crop land were infested or reinfested with primary noxious weed seeds-more than 300,000 acres of which was with field bindweed. Seventy-eight percent of the samples contained one or more of the secondary noxious weed seeds, indicating that nearly 4 million acres of cropland were infested or reinfested with secondary noxious weed seeds. 3 Germination of the samples was excellent. Only six of the 450 germ­inated less than 80%. Two seed lots used to plant 32 acres did not germinate. Slightly over half of the seed used was the farmer's own seed and about half of purchased seed was obtained from a neighbor. Essentially there is no difference between "home cleaned" and "com­mercially cleaned" seed in noxious and common weed seed content. It is evident from this survey that in many cases if the seed had been cleaned as claimed, the cleaning job was totally ineffective in remov­ing contamination of other seeds­both noxious and common weeds plus seed of other crops. Using minimum seed certifica­tion standards as a guide for deter­mining planting quality, only 8% of the oats, 19% of the wheat,  10% of the barley and 12% of the flax was of sufficiently high quality to be used for planting purposes. Yield studies were not made on these samples. Previous yield studies of oats in Pennsylvania and Nebraska both showed a 4 bushel increase in yield in favor of certified seed over uncertified seed. A Drillbox Survey South Dakota seed quality by Raymond C. Kinch, professor and J. Duane Colburn, associate professor, Plant Science Department Agricultural Experiment Station How good is the seed that is planted in South Dakota fields? Is most of it badly contaminated with weed seeds? Probably the best way to find out is to go to fields as seed is being planted and take samples from drill boxes, bags, trucks, and other con­tainers. In a 1969 survey, a total of 450 samples of oats, barley, hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, and flax were taken during the spring planting season. These samples were collected in 23 eastern South Dakota counties. Several questions were asked the operator about each seed lot at the time the sample was collected. The samples were analyz­ed at the Seed Testing Laboratory at South Dakota State University for percent of pure seed, kind and number per pound of all crop seed, common weed seeds, noxious weed seeds, and germination. A copy of the analysis was sent to the cooper­ator. The 450 sample survey represent­ed seed lots actually planted on 39,864 acres. This is about 0.5% of the total acreage planted to these crops in South Dakota in 1969 and should reflect the quality of seed being used in the state. RESULTS OF ANALYSES Weed Seeds Presence of primary and second­ary noxious weed seeds plus almost universal occurrence of common weed seeds in the samples planted in eastern South Dakota was both revealing and shocking. Table l. Number of drill box survey samples containing primary noxious weed seeds. Spring Oats Wheat Durum Flax Barley Total Number of Samples _________ 252 109 27 33 29 450 Primary Noxious Weeds Field Bindweed ---------·-- 22 2 0 0 4 28 Canada Thistle ------------ 1 1 0 1 0 3 Leafy Spurge ---------... ------ 1 0 0 0 0 1 Quackgrass ------------------- 34 15 3 2 0 54 5 Table 3. Number of drill box survey samples containing secondary noxious weed seeds. Oats Number of Samples ------------------ 252 Secondary Noxious Weeds Wild Oats ----------------------------- 112 Wild Mustard ______________ :_________ 90 Pennycress ---------------------------- 7 Hedge Bindweed ___________________ 3 Almost one out of five ( 20% ) of all seed lots planted were contamin­ated with primary noxious weed seeds (Table 2). Sale of such con­taminated seed for planting pur­poses is prohibited by the South Da­kota Weed and Seed Laws; never­theless, it is being widely planted by farmers. Nearly a million acres of good South Dakota crop land were plant­ed to seed containing the very troublesome primary noxious weeds in the spring of 1969, according to estimates shown in Table 2. More than 300,000 acres were planted to seed containing the Number 1 noxi­ous weed of South Dakota - field bindweed ( creepers or creeping jenny). Two-fifths ( 40% ) of all the seed planted contained wild oats and one-third contained wild mustard. Nearly 80% of the seed lots contain-Spring Wheat Durum Flax Barley Total 109 27 33 29 450 38 15 4 14 183 30 6 9 10 145 12 0 0 1 20 0 0 0 0 3 Table 2. Acres planted to spring grain seed infested with primary noxious weed seeds. Primary Noxious Weeds Acres Total actually estimated Samples planted acres plant­contam- with con- ed with inat- taminat- contaminat-ed (%) ed seed ed seed Field Bindweed 6.22 1442 251 50 4281 6024 303,971 32,742 10,751 586,440 933,904 Canada Thistle .67 Leafy Spurge·--- .22 Quackgrass ___ __ 12.00 Total _ __ _ ed one or more of the secondary noxious weed seeds. More than 2 million acres were planted with seed containing wild oats in the spring of 1969, as estimat­ed on a statewide basis ( Table 4). One and one-half million acres were planted to seed containing wild mustard. In all, nearly 4 million acres ( 78% ) of the total acreage seeded with the four spring planted grains were infested or reinfested with secondary noxious weed seeds. Table 4. Acres planted to spring grain seed infested with secondary noxious weed seeds. Secondary Noxious Weeds Samples contaminted (%) Wild Oats ·-·----- ----------- 40.67 Wild Mustard ________________ 32.22 Pennycress __________________ 4.44 Hedge Bindweed __________ .67 Total ------------------------6 Acres actually planted with contaminated seed 20,010 13,550 866 292 34,718 Total estimated acres planted with contaminated seed 2,087,542 1,574,591 216,982 32,742 3,911,857 Table 5. Common weed seeds found in Seed Laboratory tests of spring planted small grains. Spring Oats Wheat Number of Samples ______ 252 109 Common Weeds Wild Buckwheat ________ 198 66 Yellow Foxtail ---------- 74 38 Green Foxtail ______________ 89 42 Lambsquarters ------------ 20 12 Curled Dock ______________ 14 1 Barnyard grass ---------- 2 5 Lady's Thumb ____________ 2 0 Wild Rose __________________ 12 3 Japanese Chess __________ 4 1 Others ------------------------ 34 12 Wild Buckwheat was by far the most common weed seed in spring­planted small grains. Yellow and green foxtail ( pigeon grass) were the most common of the grassy weeds. Broad-leaved weeds are repre­sented ( Table 5) by buckwheat, lambsquarter, pigweed, curled dock and all the noxious weeds except quackgrass and wild oats. Broad­leaved weeds require a much dif­ferent approach for chemical con­trol than do grassy weeds such as quackgrass, wild oats, yellow and green foxtail, and barnyardgrass. In all the wide array of available weed killing chemicals, no single chemical or group of chemicals can be sprayed on any one of our crops that will control both broad-leaved and grassy weeds. Planting weed-free seed each Durum Flax Barley Total Percent 27 33 29 450 17 11 14 306 68.00 16 22 5 155 34.44 7 4 4 146 32.44 1 2 1 36 8.00 0 0 0 15 3.33 2 5 0 14 3.11 0 2 0 4 .89 0 0 0 15 3.33 0 0 0 5 1.11 3 6 0 55 12.22 year on a well prepared seed bed is still the only way of growing a spring grain crop with little or no weed competition. GERMINATION Germination of the seed lots was excellent with only six of the 450 germinating below 80%. One flax and three oat samples germinated between 60% and 70%. Two sam­ples that did not germinate were insect- and rodent-eaten, contained 34.65% and 53.28%, respectively, of inert matter and were used for planting 32 acres. The two farmers using this seed probably unknow­ingly were only going through the motions and their efforts would be fruitless in raising a crop. ORIGIN OF SAMPLES Questions about origin of the seed were asked as samples were taken. Table 6. Weed seed content of farmer-owned seed com pa red to purchased seed. Samples containing weed seeds Primary Secondary Common noxious noxious weeds No. % No. % No. % No. % Farmers' Seed -----------------·- ----- 249 56.4% 42 16.8% 151 60.6% 204 81.9% Purchased Seed ________________________ 193 43.6% 28 14.5% 108 55.9% 150 77.7% 7 Nearly 60% of the farmers were using their own seed. About half of the purchased seed was obtained from a neighbor. The remainder of the seed was obtained from a com­mercial concern, usually the local elevator. The farmer's own seed was contaminated with weeds to a greater extent than was purchased seed, but only about 10% of both kinds were actually free of weed seeds. CLEANING SEED BEFORE PLANTING Farmers who cleaned their own seed or had it cleaned commercial­ly were planting more weed seeds than the farmers who planted un­cleaned seed. This could be expect­ed because farmers having good seed would probably not bother to hav� it cleaned. Most farmers who bought seed from their neighbors reported it had been cleaned and all farmers buying seed from the local elevator reported that the seed had been cleaned. It is evident that most farmers buying seed from their neighbors or from the local elevator are not getting the quality of seed they ex­pect. Seed may or may not have been cleaned, but if it was cleaned, apparently it was done improperly. SEED QUALITY FACTORS Actual planting quality of any seed lot is dependent upon five factors: ( 1 ) pure seed percent ( 2) germination percent ( 3 ) free from noxious weed seeds ( 4) absence or very low rates of other crop seeds ( 5) absence of common weed seeds. Minimum seed quality standards for certified seed have long been regarded throughout the United States as acceptable. Any tested seed lot can be compared with the certification quality standard and its value for planting purposes quickly determined. Table 8. Minimum seed certificatio,n standards for oats and number and percent of samples not meeting all specific standards. Minimum Number and seed percent of sam -Oats (252) certification pies NOT meet­standards ing the standard Pure seed -------·------ 98% Other crop seed __ 5 /lb. Germination ________ 85% Common weeds ____ .1 % Noxious weeds ____ None Samples that completely met standards _________ _ 14 77 8 75 172 21 5.5% 30.6% 3.1% 29.8% 68.2% 8.3% The specific seed certification standards for wheat, barley and flax are similar to those of oats and are grouped together in Table 9. Table 7. Weed seed content of "not cleaned," "home cleaned," and "commercially cleaned" seed. Primary Secondary Common No noxious noxious weed weed seed No. % No. % No. % No. '% Not Cleaned (72) _______________ ______ 10 13.9% 38 52.8% 59 82.0% 4 5.5% Home Cleaned (82) ________ ., ________ 9 11.0% 43 52.4% 59 72.0% 8 9.8% Commercially Cleaned (296) ____ 52 17.6% 178 60.1% 230 77.7% 31 10.5% 8 Only 8.3% of the oats samples, 19.0% of the wheat samples, 10.3% of the barley samples and 12.1% of the flax samples were of a sufficient­ly high quality to meet certification standards. Over half of the oats and barley and about half of the wheat would have been rejected because of noxi­ous weed seeds if certification stand­ards had been followed. Over 30% of the oats, 48% of the wheat and 80% of the barley samples would have been rejected because of ex­cessive other-crop seeds. In spite of the high contamination of weed seeds and other crop seeds, 94.5% of the oats, 96.4% of the wheat, 82.2% of the barley and 100% of the flax met the pure seed percentage minimum standard. This indicates that cleaning plants did a good job of removing inert matter but a very poor job of removing seeds of other crops as well as seeds of both com­mon and noxious weeds. A better and more thorough job of cleaning seed is needed in South Dakota. YIELD STUDIES OF DRILL BOX SAMPLES Lack of time and funds preclud­ed obtaining yield data from the samples collected in this survey. However, related information is available from two states that have made such studies with oats. Pennsylvania study: In 1961 the Pennsylvania Agricul­tural Experiment Station reported on a drill box survey. Oat samples had been divided into two groups: certified and non-certified. Each of these groups were further divided into three type classifications: ( 1) late tall-Garry, Rodney; ( 2) medium-Clinton, Clintland; ( 3) all varieties. The yield results of the study are in Table 10. Table 10. Comparative yields, Pennsylvania drill box survey 1961. Drill Box Survey Trials, 1961 Clinton­Garry- Clint-Rodney land All types types Varieties All oat samples ____ 70.5 60.9 66.0 All non-certified samples ___________ 69.5 60.3 66.0 All certified samples ____________ 74.6 63.2 71.1 Oat seed of certified seed qual­ity yielded about 4 bushels more per acre than uncertified seed. This was true of all oat types even when varietal differences were disregard­ed. Nebraska study: A drill box survey of oats made in northeastern Nebraska was re­ported in 1959. The samples were separated into two groups: certified Table 9. Number and percent of wheat, barley, and flax samples NOT meeting specific certification standards. Wheat (136) Barley (29) Flax (33) No. % No. % No. % Pure seed --------------------------------------------------- 5 Other crop seed ------------------------------------------ 66 Germination ----------------------------------------------- 2 Common weeds ---------------------------------------- 28 Noxious weeds -------------------------------------------- 63 Samples completely meeting standards ____ 26 9 3.6% 48.5% 1.5% 20.6% 46.3% 19.0% 4 13.8% 0 23 79.3% 4 1 3.4% 1 6 20.7% 29 21 72.4% 10 3 10.3% 4 0.0% 12.1% 3.0% 87.8% 30.3% 12.1% seed of recommended varieties and common oats. All farmers' oat samples collected were planted in a replicated test on the northeast Nebraska Experi­mental Farm at Concord. Yields were obtained on each sample. A summary of the results by t�e Ne­braska Certified Seed News is shown below: Average yield of common Bushels per acre 1957 1958 seed --------------------------------------------- 33.5 56.3 Average yield of certified seed recommended varieties ------------- 40.3 60.4 The increase in yield of the certi­fied seed was 6.8 bushels per acre in 1957, an increase of 20%. In 1958 the increase was 4.1 bushels per acre ( 7.5%). 10 In both states yield advantage of about 4 bushels per acre were ob­tained in favor of certified oat seed when it and uncertified oat seed were planted in adjacant plots. Three important advantages are gained in planting certified seed: ( 1) generally it is a recommend­ed adapted variety, ( 2) seed is genetically pure and the desired variety is being planted, ( 3) seed is free of other seeds ( crops, common and noxious weeds) . The important advantage is that yields will not be reduced from competition by unwanted plants growing in the field. 

South Dakota Seed Quality: A Drillbox Survey

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South Dakota Seed Quality: A Drillbox Survey

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