Certified vs. FSS

[CJS]

You can high erucic acid from any seed, even new like my neighbour discovered this year, but the seed supplier doesn’t want to know.

So if I buy some seed I would then have to get it tested for erucic acid The seed boys are surely responsible for selling acid free seed

 

[Brisel]

Erucic acid is not one of the criteria for certified osr seed. Is this correct @Barry @crazy_bull ?

 

[fudge]

Erucic acid is not one of the criteria for certified osr seed. Is this correct @Barry @crazy_bull ?

Maybe it should be. Why not ask suppliers for the analysis before buying? The information should be available if the seed is traceable.

 

[stroller]

Saving my osr this year will it save again next year or do you need to save from new seed every year ?

Just save enough for a couple of years

 

[Beamont]

What is the risk of using OSR seed that has been desiccated with round up .?

 

[Brisel]

What is the risk of using OSR seed that has been desiccated with round up .?

It's technically illegal. If any of the seed was green when you sprayed it then it won't germinate. I'd have my doubts about its vigour too.

 

[Barry]

Erucic acid is not one of the criteria for certified osr seed. Is this correct @Barry @crazy_bull ?

A variety has to demonstrate it is intrinsically low in Erucic Acid when it applies for National Listing - i.e. to be a variety that can be sold into the market. Unless of course it is a High Erucic variety.

But there is no requirement for certified seed to meet a standard for Erucic Acid. Having said that as far as I am aware and all the seed that we have handled to date - has been tested - and all the results are practically zero or are zero. I think I can say with a lot of certainty that no breeder would market seed now without at test, and no breeder or merchant would market one with anything other than a level way below the level set by the crushers. It wouldn't be worth the risk.

 

[Barry]

So if I buy some seed I would then have to get it tested for erucic acid The seed boys are surely responsible for selling acid free seed

See my above post in answer to Brisel's query. If you want to know the Erucic Acid test result on seed you buy then ask your merchant.

 

[Oat]

Just save enough for a couple of years

As long as you perform a germination test, it shouldn't matter how old the seed is. But in practice using up to 2 year old seed is probably OK. After this, the level of germination is probably getting low enough that the increase in seedrate to compensate may reduce workrate etc...

In terms of saving from a crop which is from FSS, there is an argument that you are actually selecting for the best suited plants to your farm, so in theory the overall 'quality' of the crop can improve. On the other hand, you can end up concentrating weeds and pests further on your farm*, and if you stick with the same varieties, then at some point there will be a yield penalty versus newer varieties which may yield higher or have a better disease resistance profile*.

* = Obviously, some people will argue that even bought in seed can have weed and pest problems, and even old varieties can still yield well sometimes.