Presowing preparation of seeds. Techniques for preparing seeds for sowing. Rules for sowing seeds

Based on the work of T. Ugarova
"Growing seedlings in the apartment"

The methods of presowing seed treatment are different depending on the crop. Many diseases vegetable crops, especially bacterial, fungal and viral, are transmitted through seeds. To protect plants from diseases, the seeds are disinfected before sowing.

Table of substances for pre-sowing seed treatment and seedling spraying

The purpose of presowing treatment is to free seeds from pathogens, increase their viability and accelerate germination. If the seeds were stored in the refrigerator, then the treatment begins with heating for a month at a temperature of about 30 ° C. after which they are disinfected by heat treatment or chemical pickling.

Seed disinfection is a mandatory procedure. We must not forget that 80% of diseases of vegetable crops are transmitted with seeds (and plant residues) and only 20% through the soil. It is not necessary to decontaminate the seeds if the package indicates that the treatment has already been carried out, or if the seeds are pelleted.

Heat treatment of seeds- the most reliable method of disinfection. Warming up gives an almost 100% guarantee of the release of seeds from disease-causing agents. At home, only one type of heat treatment is available - hot water, which is carried out by placing the seeds in gauze bags in a thermos.

Etching with potassium permanganate the simplest, most common and effective method disinfection. Of all the treaters, potassium permanganate has the widest spectrum of action. Seeds are treated with 1% KMn04 solution in the mode indicated in Table 4.

A 1% solution has a thick, almost black color. Dressing does not achieve its goal if less concentrated (pink or dark pink) solutions are used, and also if sticky seeds are treated. Tomato seeds stick together especially often. Before immersing in potassium permanganate, they must be rubbed with your hands so that each seed is moistened from all sides.

Table 4. Substances for presowing treatment of seeds and spraying of seedlings

A drug	Purpose	Solution preparation	Method of use
Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) (KMp04)	Seed dressing before sowing	1% solution 1g per 100 ml (1/2 cup)	Treat the seeds for 20 minutes, then rinse with clean water
Copper sulfate (CuS04)	Spraying seedlings on peat soils with leaf lethargy	0.05% solution of CuS04 (0.5 g per 1 liter of water)	2-3 times spraying on the leaves
Ferrous vitriol (FeSO4) or iron chelate or iron oxalate	Spraying seedlings with the appearance of yellowness on young leaves	0.1% solution (1 g per 1 liter of water)	1-2 sprays on the leaves
Potassium iodide (KI)	Spraying seedlings to prevent fungal diseases	0.01% KI solution (0.1 g per 1 liter of water)	Double spraying: before picking and after 2 weeks
Cereal straw ash or screened wood ash	Dusting of shoots of cabbage crops for the prevention of black leg	Mix equal amounts of ash and sand and place in a "stocking" (pouch of rare fabric)	At the stage of the "fork" (deployed cotyledons), powder the seedlings for the night, wash off the ashes in the morning. Repeat on the first true sheet.
sodium or potassium humate	1. Soaking seeds	0.01% solution	24 hours, 27-28°C
	2. Watering seedlings	0.005% solution	Watering on cotyledons, 1st, 3rd and 5th leaves
Appin	1. Soaking seeds	2 drops per 100 ml (1/2 cup) of water	12-18h, 20-23°C
	2. Spraying seedlings after picking	3 drops per 100 ml	Spraying 6-12 hours after picking
	3. Increased spraying in stressful situations	7 drops per 200 ml	Spraying every 7-10 days

After disinfection, the seeds can be sown in the ground, but it is better to soak them in a solution of biostimulants - epin or humate before sowing. This significantly accelerates the emergence of seedlings of hard-to-sprout seeds (celery, onion, parsnip, pepper, etc.), stimulates the growth of seedlings, and most importantly, reduces the sensitivity of seedlings to adverse conditions and increases their resistance to diseases. Processing modes are listed in Table 4.

Seed treatment before sowing- methods of processing seeds of various agricultural crops, aimed at improving the quality of seed. The leading processes in the preparation of seeds for sowing are their treatment with microelements and dressing (treatment with pesticides).

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Introduction

Seed dressing (seed treatment)

- one of the targeted, economical and environmentally friendly measures to protect plants from diseases and pests. In the process of dressing, seeds are applied to destroy not only external, but also internal infections of plant origin, protection of both seeds and seedlings in the field from soil-dwelling phytopathogens and various pests.

Presowing seed treatment

, along with , is the most efficient and economical way to use microfertilizers. Trace elements, getting into the soil, form poorly soluble compounds. That is why expensive, water-soluble salts of trace elements are recommended for seed treatment, as well.

The most popular and effective pre-sowing treatment of seed material with complexonates,. These elements are technologically advanced enough for seed treatment, non-toxic, non-flammable.

Information

Our website contains information about and intended for pre-sowing seed treatment.

Pre-sowing treatment of seeds with pesticides

Combined preparations are created in order to expand the spectrum of fungicidal action, impart properties to disinfectants, introduce fertilizers and retardants.

Combined preparations are created by combining simple protectants.

Basic requirements for seed dressing

Only conditioned seeds that have been sorted and tested for germination are subject to dressing.

Do not treat heavily damaged seeds or with high humidity.

Treated seed should be stored in a dry, cool, well-ventilated area.

Effect of trace elements on seed germination

Seeds need certain conditions to germinate. First of all, this is the supply of a sufficient amount of water. Air-dry seeds contain only 20% water and are in a state of forced dormancy. They quickly absorb water and swell.

It has been established that under the influence of microfertilizers, water enters through the seed coat faster, and its swelling increases significantly.

Effect of microfertilizers on seed swelling(% of original weight). According to:
Experience Variant	Plant	Time from start of soaking, (hours - 3, 7, 25)
Control	Corn
Processed with trace elements	Corn

Together with water, microelements dissolved in it also enter the seeds. They are localized mainly in the embryo and primary roots, which stimulate and improve their growth.

Studies conducted at the Institute of Plant Physiology of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences have shown that seed treatment with microfertilizers improves germination energy, increases the number and length of roots. Thus, seed treatment with microfertilizers improves all indicators characterizing the first stages of plant ontogenesis.

The use of microfertilizers for seed treatment and their effectiveness

fertilizer

used for sugar beet, fodder root crops, flax, cotton, sunflower, leguminous crops. For dusting seeds, it is produced on talc containing boron in the form boric acid.

The positive effect of boron during presowing soaking of seeds in a solution of boric acid was obtained for table beets and carrots on soddy-podzolic soils of the Leningrad region. The use of boron in all ways of its application contributed to an increase in the yield of root crops of carrots and beets by 11-50 q/ha. At the same time, the content of sugars in the roots of both crops and carotene in carrots increased.

fertilizer

. Ammonium molybdate is used for presowing seed treatment. They process seeds of peas, vetch, fodder beans, soybeans, lupine, clover, alfalfa, vegetable crops. In addition, for pre-sowing seed treatment, it is used containing molybdenum. It is a mechanical mixture of technical talc and finely ground dry molybdenum. It is used for legumes and gourds, cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage, perennial legume herbs. Dry seed dusting with ammonium molybdate is often combined with dry dressing.

The high efficiency of molybdenum in the sowing treatment of seeds by wetting has been proven in experiments with a legume-cereal mixture on soddy-podzolic loamy soil; on Ramenskoye experimental field- with clover seeds. High efficiency of molybdenum application was observed for alfalfa. At the same time, the yield of ground mass increased by 14.1%, and the yield of seeds - by 34.1%.

Thanks to pre-sowing treatment pea seeds, the seed yield in two years increased by 3.6 centners per hectare, that is, by 21%.

Field experiments on soddy-podzolic soils for sugar beet for three years increased the yield of root crops from 325.9 to 373.7 c/ha, and their sugar content - from 17.1 to 18%

fertilizer

. For pre-sowing seed treatment, copper sulfate is used in the form of a 0.1-0.02% solution. Dusting of seeds with copper sulfate is carried out together with the treatment. For the treatment of seeds of corn, legumes and cereals, flax, hemp, cucumber and gourds, tomatoes, cabbage, perennial grasses, copper-containing is used. It is a mechanical mixture of finely divided blue vitriol and technical talc.

The positive effect of copper sulfate in the treatment of flax seeds by spraying was established on medium podzolized loams. At the same time, the yield of flax straw increased from 33.2 to 38.5 q/ha, the seed yield - from 4.3 to 4.7 q/ha, while significantly improving the quality of the fiber.

On the dark chestnut soils of the Dagestan experimental station, an increase in the cotton yield was observed as a result of seed treatment (pre-sowing soaking) in a solution of copper sulfate.

All field studies showed a clear effect of copper fertilizers on crop yields, both in pre-sowing seed treatment and in foliar treatment.

fertilizer

. For pre-sowing seed treatment, zinc sulfate, zinc polymer fertilizers, and also containing zinc are used. Seeds of corn, cotton, sugar beet, cucumber, gourds, tomatoes, cabbage and some other crops are treated with zinc fertilizers. Zinc sulfate is used in conjunction with.

Pre-sowing soaking of seeds in a zinc sulfate solution has a beneficial effect on many crops: the bean yield increases by 19-26%; tomatoes - by 22.4 q/ha; corn - by 5.6 q/ha. At the same time, the quality characteristics of crops are improving.

In addition, the incidence of brown spot in tomatoes is reduced, and in cucumbers resistance to root-knot nematode is increased.

The positive effect of presowing treatment with zinc was observed in experiments with winter and spring wheat, sunflower, and winter barley. The yield of grain crops increased by 1.56 centners per hectare in two years, the content of protein and gluten in wheat and barley grains increased. The sunflower harvest increased by 2.8 c/ha, while the oil content increased from 34.4 to 36.2%.

Pre-sowing treatment of sugar beet seeds in combination with a single foliar treatment in the conditions of chestnut soils of the Kazakh SSR increased the yield of the root crop by 63 c/ha.

Preplant treatment of potato tubers with zinc increased the yield by 29%. However, in this case it was less effective. An increase in the resistance of potatoes to late blight and other diseases was also noted.

During presowing treatment of seeds, manganese sulfate in combination with foliar treatment under greenhouse conditions not only increases the yield of tomatoes, but also increases their sugar content, the content of vitamin C in fruits, and reduces the incidence of brown spot in tomatoes.

Empirically, it was found that under field conditions, pre-sowing treatment of seeds with manganese sulfate in combination with foliar top dressing increases the yield of tomatoes by 9.5-12.2%, and carrots - by 11.3%.

Experience Variant	Yield kg/100 m2		Sugar amount, %	Vitamin C, mg/%	Plants with brown spot, %
Control (without manganese)
manganese sulfate					In the course of field and vegetation experiments, positive results were obtained from the effect of seed treatment with cobalt for clover, barley, and winter rye on limed soddy-podzolic soils. The positive effect of cobalt is noted for sugar beet, hemp, grapes in various soil conditions. fertilizer . For seed treatment, iodine is used in the form of potassium iodide or sodium iodide. Pre-sowing treatment of oat seeds with iodine led to an increase in the yield of green mass. There is a positive effect of iodine on the yield of hay legumes - clover and alfalfa. In tomatoes treated with iodine, the weight of the fruit increases by an average of 319 g. Compositions of trace elements for seed treatment In practice, it is often necessary to treat seeds with several microelements. For this purpose, various compositions of microelements for seed treatment are produced. Such mixtures have a beneficial effect on improving the quality of the seed and the development of plants in all phases of growth. Encrustation (dreating or pelleting) of seeds For pre-sowing preparation of seeds of vegetable and some industrial crops, the method of encrustation (drying or pelletizing) is used. Bactericides, various micro- and macrofertilizers, growth stimulants, neutral dyes, and adhesives are successively applied to the seeds. This method provides a more uniform sowing of seeds, obtaining friendly seedlings and makes it easier to sow small seeds. As film formers, a 2% solution of sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose (NaKMC) and a 5% solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are used. The consumption of film formers is 1-2.5% of the weight of the seeds. The polymer film freely passes water, but tightly holds chemicals on the surface of the seeds. Encrustation can be carried out both in advance and immediately before sowing. Features of pre-sowing fertilizer treatment of seeds of some crops Tomatoes and cabbage . The seeding rate for growing cabbage and tomatoes is 400-500 g/ha. Due to the small amount during presowing treatment, the seeds receive a dose of microelements that is insufficient for the successful development of plants throughout the growing season. Therefore, when growing tomatoes and cabbage, it is recommended to combine seed dusting with foliar and

Calibration. It is carried out to determine the quality of seeds. To do this, they are immersed in an aqueous 3-5% solution of common salt or in water for 5 minutes, vigorously stirred and defended for 3-5 minutes. The solution with the floating seeds is drained, and those settled on the bottom of the vessel are washed well in running water and dried.

Disinfection (etching). Prevents the development of various plant diseases and can be hydrothermal or chemical. Chemical etching perform dry (powdered pesticides are applied to the surface of the seeds) and semi-dry (wet the seeds with water and then dust with pesticides) method.

Hydrothermal disinfection- this is the alternation of seed treatment hot, and then cold water.

Stratification. It is used to accelerate the germination of seeds of plants that have a long period of dormancy or germination, and to increase the viability of seeds of cold-resistant crops.
The seeds are soaked until completely swollen in a warm room, then evenly mixed with wet washed sand in a ratio of 1:3. The duration of the stratification period depends on the culture and lasts from 30 to 120 days. After processing, the seeds are cleaned of sand or sown with it. During winter sowing, seed stratification occurs naturally in the soil.

hardening. It is used to increase the endurance of heat-loving crops (tomato, pepper, eggplant, watermelon, melon) to low temperatures and temperature fluctuations.

Warming seeds before sowing
It is used to increase the mass of seedlings and the number of female flowers on plants of the gourd family.
seed soaking

It is undertaken for earlier and friendly emergence of seedlings. Seed soaking time:

plants from the pumpkin, cabbage and legume families - 12-20 hours;

nightshade, quinoa and aster - 24-40;

Buckwheat, onion and celery - 50-70 hours.
Germination takes about 2 times longer than soaking. When 1-3% of the seeds are hatched, germination is completed. Large seeds of pumpkin, peas, beans, sweet corn are best germinated in well-washed, dried and sifted sand through a thick sieve, moistening it with water until damp.
Enrichment with nutrients (macro- and microelements) and biologically active substances
It is used to increase germination energy, improve nutrition and stimulate the metabolism of seedlings. It is carried out after heating and dressing the seeds, immersing them in an appropriate solution. This is especially important for small seeds that contain a small supply of nutrients (cabbage, tomato, onion, carrot, etc.).
Seed treatment is carried out a few days before sowing. Boric fertilizers are most effective when processing beetroot, carrot, radish, rutabaga, tomato, white and cauliflower seeds; molybdenum - when processing cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, lettuce; copper - onions, carrots, table beets.

Sowing seeds on paper. The essence of sowing on paper lies in the fact that full-weight, disinfected, and if sowing is carried out soon, then treated with biologically active substances, the seeds are glued onto a tape of easily wet paper. Strips of paste made from wheat or potato flour, clerical or casein glue are applied to the paper and the seeds are laid out on them with a match.

The timing of the ripening of the crop and its quantitative indicators directly depend on the quality of the seed material. Some seeds easily and without problems give friendly shoots, others must be prepared without fail, and the more carefully you prepare the seeds, the higher the germination will be.

It should be noted right away that the sowing of flower and garden crops should be carried out with fresh seeds. For each plant species, germination varies in different ways and can remain within the normal range from one to five years. So asters remain viable only for a year, but rudbeckia - all five years.

It is clear that germination also depends on the conditions in which the seed material is stored - jumps in temperature and humidity lower germination rates with each subsequent year. In this regard, it is preferable to use fresh seeds for sowing. True, there are exceptions, for example, in the case of cucumbers, the best results are observed when planting 2-3-year-old seeds. This is due to the fact that cucumber bushes sprouted from annual seeds, as a rule, form a large number of male flowers (barren flowers), as a result of which the yield decreases.

Freshly harvested seeds of most garden and flower crops have low germination, they need post-harvest ripening, the duration of the drying process depends on the variety and species.

The main rule that must be followed when storing seeds is a low moisture index, on which respiration processes depend - the drier the seeds, the more respiration decreases. If the threshold of critical humidity is exceeded, then the intensity of breathing will increase sharply. As a result, the seeds will awaken and germinate, or they will rot and die.

Therefore, when preparing seeds, it is necessary to take into account the necessary conditions for seed germination - heat, moisture and the amount of oxygen.

Now consider the methods of pre-sowing seed preparation, most often used at home.

Calibration

Seeds of vegetable crops are divided by size into the following groups: very large (zucchini, pumpkin, beans, peas), large (beets, melon, cucumber, radish), medium (eggplants, cabbage, tomatoes) and small (turnips and carrots). But even the seeds of the same crop often differ in size, and uniform seedlings can only be obtained using seed of the same size and weight. Therefore, before planting, the seeds must be calibrated - divided into large and smaller ones in order to sow them in separate areas.

The seeds are placed for 5 minutes in a 3-5% solution of sodium chloride or simply in water, mixed vigorously and set aside for five minutes. The solution with seeds that have surfaced is drained, and those that remain at the bottom of the dish are washed and dried in a dark place. Also, do not dry near the stove or radiator.

Small seeds are sorted with a plastic electrified stick. To do this, they are scattered in a thin layer on a sheet of paper, after which with a stick, previously rubbed woolen cloth, spend over them at a distance of about two centimeters. As a result, unfulfilled and empty seeds stick to the stick.

Soak

Beginning gardeners, as a rule, ask themselves the question - should seeds be soaked before sowing? It is clear that you can sow dry, but if you carry out the indicated procedure, seedlings can be expected a couple of days earlier, which minimizes the risk of seed death in the ground. This agricultural method is very effective in early spring, when it is cold. Moreover, it is possible to soak, with rare exceptions, all seeds. The result is especially noticeable in cases with seeds that germinate for a long time, seeds of heat-loving crops, large green seeds, seeds that require an abundance of moisture during germination (legumes, bulbs). It is not necessary to soak fast-growing seeds, as well as very small ones, and if you are doing winter sowing.

There are two main soaking methods:

1. Seeds of crops with normal germination are soaked for 24 hours in warm water (25-30 ° C), then dried (or can be pickled) and sown immediately.
2. Seeds with a thick shell or low germination are soaked for a longer period - up to several days (until the seed coat swells). Water should be changed at least every 4-6 hours. Further, the seeds need to be pickled and can be sown.

Seed soaking times:

• plants from the cabbage, pumpkin and legume families - from 12 to 20 hours
• quinoa, nightshade and aster - from 24 to 40 hours
• onion, buckwheat, celery - from 50 to 70 hours

Seed dressing

This is a mandatory, and therefore the most important method of preparing for planting seed material. With its help, disinfection from pathogens of dangerous diseases occurs. Etching can be done by wet and dry methods.

When dry, the seeds are dusted with fungicide powder with a wide range of effects, for example, foundationol. If there are not very many seeds, then the dusting process can be done with a regular paint brush. For large volumes, the fungicide should be added to the seed container, closed and shaken vigorously enough times. For one kilogram of seeds, 3-5 grams of foundationol will be required. This method is more suitable for industrial scales, since it is quite difficult to make an accurate measurement for 50 grams of seeds at home, and besides, all work with chemicals should be carried out only in the open air.

Wet etching is done with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Holding time: 20-30 minutes, but before that, the seeds are soaked for a day in clean water. If this is not done, then by treating the dry seeds with potassium permanganate, you can burn them.

After pickling in a solution of potassium permanganate, the seeds are washed with clean running water. If potassium permanganate was not at hand, instead of it, you can use a solution of hydrogen peroxide (2-3%), heating it to a temperature of 38-40 ° C. Hold for approximately 7-10 minutes. You can also treat the seeds with a solution of fungicides, for example, foundationazole, the drug "maxim" and others, while performing all manipulations according to the instructions.
After dressing, the seeds are dried and planted in the ground. It is not recommended to store them. Planting time is a maximum of two days after dry processing, and no more than five days after wet processing.

Processing with trace elements

Processing with microelements is necessary for the seeds of sweet pepper, peas, tomatoes, carrots. It increases yield and accelerates ripening. The procedure is performed 12-24 hours before sowing. Trace elements are diluted with warm water (+45°C). At the end of soaking, the seeds do not need to be washed, just dried.

Microfertilizers can be replaced with wood ash, for this, 20 grams of ash must be diluted in 1 liter of water and insisted for 1-2 days, then soak the seeds in this solution for 6 hours.

This seed treatment gives a good start to the plants, while they receive a sufficient amount of nitrogen fertilizer, as a result, such vegetables accumulate less nitrates.

Heating in hot water

It is carried out as a preventive measure to avoid bacterial diseases, for example, vascular bacteriosis when growing cabbage. Treat with hot water (50°C) for 20 minutes. The water temperature is gradually decreasing, so you need to add a little hot water. After the process is completed, the seeds are cooled with cold water and laid out to dry. You need to plant on the same day, in extreme cases - the next.

In a similar way, seeds and other vegetables are heated, for example, black onion must be kept for 6-8 hours in water with a temperature of 40 ° C.

Dry heating of seeds

Heating is suitable for increasing the germination of tomatoes and cucumbers. Even warming up activates the formation of female flowers on cucumbers. Parchment is spread on a baking sheet and seeds are poured onto it. Then the baking sheet is sent for 2-3 hours in the oven, preheated to a temperature of 50-60°C. All this time it is necessary to ensure that the temperature is within the specified range.

There is an easier way - turn on an incandescent lamp over a plate of seeds. It generates enough heat, so by changing the distance to the seeds, you can get the optimum temperature.

Another way is to place the seeds in a gauze bag, hang over a heating radiator. The process should take two months. This will accelerate the ripening of seeds, increase the number of female flowers, and hence the yield.

seed hardening

To protect the seedlings of vegetables and individual flower crops from short spring cold snaps, the seeds must be hardened. To do this, spread them between several layers of gauze, fill with warm water and place on the battery to get a temperature in the region of 20-25 ° C. Wait for the complete swelling of the seed coat. For each culture, the swelling time is individual - cucumbers can withstand about 24 hours, and tomatoes - about three days.

To determine that the seeds are ready, track when the first seed hatches. After that, place the seeds in a cold environment (take it out on the balcony or put it in the refrigerator), the temperature should be from 0 to + 3 ° C. Tomato seeds can also be kept at temperatures down to -2°C. Keep the seeds in the cold for 18-20 hours, then bring them back into a warm room (+ 20 ° C) and leave for 6 hours, after which the cycle repeats. And so for 5-7 days. Seedlings grown from these seeds should also be hardened off by placing them in warm and cold environments. Seedlings hardened in this way can be planted in a greenhouse a week and a half earlier than the standard time.

Coating

Coating is the enrichment of seeds with nutrients. Coated seeds sprout more amicably, at the first stages of development they are better provided nutrients resulting in increased yield. At home, drageeing is carried out as follows.

Coating allows you to bring the seeds to the standard and then they will sprout at the same time

On a liter jar of dried and sifted peat (6 parts), humus (3 parts) and crushed dry mullein (1 part), add 40 mg of manganese sulfate, 10 mg of copper sulfate, 40 mg of boric acid, 300 mg of ammonium molybdate and 200 mg of zinc sulfate . Moisten the seeds a little, mix (they should not stick together). Put them in glass jar and add some dry cooked mixture. Then roll the jar and shake it so that the seeds, enveloped in the mixture, take the form of balls (pellets). Repeat the operation several times.

Seed disinfection

Disinfection is an important and first step in protecting the future crop from diseases and pests. There are several options.

Heat treatment. A simple and reliable way to disinfect seeds of cabbage, tomato, eggplant and physalis. First, dip the seeds in gauze bags into a thermos with hot water (48-50 ° C) for 25 minutes, and then immediately into a glass with cold water for 2-3 minutes.

Disinfection does not occur in cases where sticky seeds are processed. Tomato seeds are especially prone to sticking together.

Potassium permanganate solution has a fairly wide spectrum of activity. For proper cooking Dissolve 1 g of potassium permanganate in 100 ml of warm water. Remember that reduced concentration will not lead to the desired effect. And if you suspect that the seeds may be infected - double the amount of potassium permanganate. Dip the seeds in gauze bags into the solution, then rinse under running water. Seeds of tomato, onion, celery, lettuce, radish, beans, peas, beans should be kept in solution for 30-40 minutes. Eggplant seeds, peppers, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin crops, dill - 20 minutes.

Specialized stores sell modern drugs - growth stimulants- increase the immunity of plants and their resistance to diseases. But they should be used only on those crops and in those doses that are indicated in the attached instructions.