To get the highest quality out of your seed production, there are a few things to keep in mind. Seed Production Specialist Jordan Schmidt has a few tips when it comes to Seed Production quality.
Schmidt says starting with a clean field free of perennial weeds is extremely important for the outcome of your crop. Applying glyphosate prior to seeding perennial crops goes a long way, he said, in preventing those perennial weeds in fields. For an alfalfa crop, your field needs to be clean of sweet clover, and for grasses, it should be clean of wild oats and quack grass.
“Depending on the crop, there are lots of in-crop broadleaf control options,” said the Seed Production Specialist. “Minimizing weeds is critical for high quality seed that is most in demand and receives the highest price”
Schmidt said there are good broadleaf control options for grass fields and though there are limited herbicide options, the ones available still get the job done.
“Once fields are established, they can be quite competitive and reduce weed pressure,” he said. “Ensuring everything is done to have a strong competitive stand goes a long way to reducing weed pressures in seed producing years.”
If weeds persist in certain areas of the field, Schmidt recommends mowing, spraying, or discing the area to avoid harvesting those weeds so they don’t contaminate your crop. Rouging is also an option, he added, for weeds that can’t be removed by chemicals. Hard-to-kill weeds like sweet clover are often rogued to maintain seed quality in alfalfa.
Though cleaning seed after harvest removes weeds from the mix, the dirtier the seed is coming in, the higher dockages you’ll see. Schmidt added that problematic weeds like quack grass also can’t be separated from the seed post-harvest, which makes preventing them from getting established and removing any problem areas from the field imperative.
To reduce even more dockage, avoid heavy weeded areas when harvesting and clean your combine prior to getting on the field. This keeps the strong weeds out of your seed and helps you to avoid unnecessary contamination.
For more information about producing seed for BrettYoung, contact your local Seed Production Specialist.
