Biostimulant Seed Treatments

SteveE

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Hello all,

Now this may be a cat among the pigeons post but looking ahead and having used SP seed dressings for many years now for our seed treatments for wheat and following on from discussions with the agronomist and Soil chap I wondered whether anyone has used and seen any noticeable benefit to biostimulant seed dressings?

The guy who cleans our seed has been using KickOff and is starting to look at other dressings that are available.

We don't use a starter fertiliser as have always popped on broiler manure and incorporated it but after advice from the soil chappy he suggested reducing the broiler manure applications to a minimum due to us locking up nutrients in the soil, we are supposed to have a high amount of Phosphates but they are currently locked up so hence the looking at ways to unlock what we have there already in the soil to keep everything nice and healthy (we hope!)

Any advice of your findings would be gratefully appreciated.

Steve
 

CORK

Member
Hello all,

Now this may be a cat among the pigeons post but looking ahead and having used SP seed dressings for many years now for our seed treatments for wheat and following on from discussions with the agronomist and Soil chap I wondered whether anyone has used and seen any noticeable benefit to biostimulant seed dressings?

The guy who cleans our seed has been using KickOff and is starting to look at other dressings that are available.

We don't use a starter fertiliser as have always popped on broiler manure and incorporated it but after advice from the soil chappy he suggested reducing the broiler manure applications to a minimum due to us locking up nutrients in the soil, we are supposed to have a high amount of Phosphates but they are currently locked up so hence the looking at ways to unlock what we have there already in the soil to keep everything nice and healthy (we hope!)

Any advice of your findings would be gratefully appreciated.

Steve
Have you a very high pH? This can lock up P.
We have this situation and always apply about 25-30kg/Ha of P to the seedbed at planting, this has overcome the issue here.
Applying too much P can lock up Zinc.

As for Biostimulant seed dressings, I remain unconvinced (I work for a seed company).
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
If your P is locked up a seed dressing isn’t going to release enough or supply enough to feed a crop. You’ll need to address the cause. If it’s high ph it’s not going to be easy to lower it to any degree. I have high P and high PH. Seed row places P is needed for early growth. Used manganese seed dressing a few times back in the uk on chalky ground. Crop visually looked darker and stronger but can’t say it yielded any better.
 

Old apprentice

Member
Arable Farmer
Went to a ahdb meeting agrovista had a demo of liberator which releases locked up p . They had a trainee agronomist counting tillers was it about 8 % more ther was a definite hight increase with liberator compared with not using it . One of the ideas is that with high p index if they come out with stopping you putting some available p on when index is say 4 when p is locked up use this to release the p .
 

Cordiale

Member
Went to a ahdb meeting agrovista had a demo of liberator which releases locked up p . They had a trainee agronomist counting tillers was it about 8 % more ther was a definite hight increase with liberator compared with not using it . One of the ideas is that with high p index if they come out with stopping you putting some available p on when index is say 4 when p is locked up use this to release the p .
Did you ever get the yield results of treated versus untreated?
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Does the soil chappy work for the seller of said seed treatment? I would be wary of vested interests and Agrovista certainly stand to gain from selling such treatments.

Stick with your manures. I agree with comments above about high pH soils and seed treatments not being able to supply enough nutrients.
 

Cordiale

Member
I have been told that applying elemental sulphur will lower the ph and thus make locked up phosphate more readily available and also negate the need to apply any sulphur based nitrogen fertilisers.
 

SteveE

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Does the soil chappy work for the seller of said seed treatment? I would be wary of vested interests and Agrovista certainly stand to gain from selling such treatments.

Stick with your manures. I agree with comments above about high pH soils and seed treatments not being able to supply enough nutrients.
No the soil chap was a complete independent to be honest and hadn't suggested any seed treatments as such, just more of an inquisitive mind in my case on this one.
 
No the soil chap was a complete independent to be honest and hadn't suggested any seed treatments as such, just more of an inquisitive mind in my case on this one.

Your soil chap isn't completely independent. He needs to keep himself relavant and on your farm so he has a chance of maintaining income streams. We all have a bias!!
 

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