Performance Story: Field evaluation of one seed treatment inducing multiple agronomic responses from emergence to yield
Dr. Karen Tanino, University of Saskatchewan
INTRODUCTION: Early seed germination, seedling establishment and enhanced root development in spring are all critical factors to increasing yield through advanced flowering and avoidance of heat/drought stress in mid-summer. Advanced maturity also enables avoidance of frosts which can occur prior to harvest. Previous research showed that a recently developed, inexpensive catalytic seed treatment had a significant effect on all three critical factors. This treatment (CAT) is based on a known catalytic reaction using a transition metal and may also be used for organic production. Across over 90% of the crops and cultivars evaluated for whole plant growth and development, this novel seed treatment had a profound and consistent effect on increasing seed germination under low-temperature conditions, increased lateral root growth, particularly the fine secondary and tertiary roots. These crops included over 20 oilseed, cereal, pulse, forage and horticultural crops and cultivars. Although this inexpensive treatment is only applied once to the seed, it has long term, multiple benefits on subsequent plant growth and development. However, the treatment has not yet been evaluated in the field. Therefore, the main goal of this grant application was to initially transition to the field, determine field performance of this novel seed treatment, and identify areas for further study. Our initial treatment cost: crop return benefit ratio calculation indicates a crude estimate for the lowest gain of a return of at least 1:25, but much more likely in the 1:50-150 range.
APPROACH: This project tested two sources of catalysts under field conditions; the AB catalyst (CAT), and FeSO4. The approach began in the University (wheat) and federal government research field plots (canola), then expanded to farmer’s (wheat, canola) and BASF field conditions (wheat) and BASF greenhouses (lentil). To first transition to the field, CAT was initially seed-applied by the normal soaking method, then subsequently dried before planting (priming). But for seed-spraying, CAT concentrations were increased up to 2800 times to have efficacy on farmer’s land and BASF field conditions.
KEY MESSAGES: 1) Similar to previous controlled environment responses, under field conditions, the catalytic seed treatment consistently increased emergence, lateral and fine root growth in both wheat and canola. 2) Wheat: generally, planting date and cultivar were the most significant factors to many responses. Although seed treatment did not significantly increase yield… mean yields were higher, but variation for this response did not allow significance to be detected. Nevertheless, catalytic seed treatment advanced grain maturity and increased tillering. In the field under Fusarium disease pressure without Insure fungicide, CATTM and/or FeSO4 alone at all concentrations increased wheat shoot dry weight, grain maturity and grain weight. The growth and development responses to CATTM and FeSO4 catalytic seed treatment in combination with Insure were generally equal to Insure alone, and in several cases, responses to catalytic seed treatments alone were significantly enhanced above the Insure fungicide. Under disease conditions, all seed treatments which included Insure generally had superior performance in early emergence (7 and 14 days), seedling vigour (14 and 21 days), and reduced wheat disease severity compared to treatments without Insure. 3) Canola: generally, genotype was the most significant factor in most responses. However, pod number per branch significantly increased under CATTM. FeSO4 was not tested in the canola trial. 4) Lentil: CATTM alone reduced lentil abnormal growth in the presence of Rhizoctonia application under greenhouse conditions, and reduced lentil disease severity similar to Insure. CATTM increased mean nodulation in lentils by 25% but plant to plant variation prevented statistical significance. Consistent with the wheat field Fusarium disease experiments, in lentil greenhouse Rhizoctonia experiments, all catalytic seed treatments which included Insure fungicide showed earlier emergence and greater vigour (7, 14 and 21 days), longer root and shoot length (27 DAE). 5) Storage life of CATTM and on-farm treated seeds revealed the catalytic treatment solution and seeds can be stored for at least one month and one week, respectively. However, the maximum limit is not known.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESULTS TO THE SWDC: Since most wheat is fungicide-treated on-farm, equipment exists to apply the catalytic seed treatment on farm. Our various tests indicate no negative interaction with existing fungicides (tested Insure on wheat and Apron Maxx on pea) and in fact, revealed some positive responses. With increased tillering, root growth, and advanced maturity, we anticipate to see greater yield stability in plants from treated seeds during poor production years compared to untreated controls.
LESSONS LEARNED: This was our first set of field trials. While we expected the field to be variable, obtaining statistically significant results will require far more replications than anticipated. Developing a method of application of the seed treatment will be a critical step.
NEXT STEPS:
More research is needed on developing seed treatment technologies for this catalytic seed treatment so that the positive responses observed under controlled environment conditions can be effectively and consistently translated to the field. Further tests on catalytic solution storage life and efficacy after seeds are treated and stored need to be conducted to determine upper limit of storage time. Since this was just the first time our experiments were put into the field, the field component should be expanded on research plots before moving to large scale farmer’s land.