Seed Technologies to Help Reduce Risks and Improve Carrot Crop Performance

Every season you plant a crop, there are risks. Weather, poor germination, insects, disease, and nutrient deficiencies are just a few of the risks that may run through your mind before you plant your next carrot crop. To reduce your risks, why not consider utilizing seed technologies that help improve your crop performance starting with your seed?

The following are a three seed technology options that may contribute to reducing risks this season:

#1 Seed Priming

As weather patterns continue to become more and more unpredictable, adverse environmental conditions can run the risk of you experiencing slow and non-uniform emergence which may impact your final field population. Carrot seed priming improves the speed of germination and uniformity that in the end optimizes harvesting which results in more yield and enhanced product quality.

Want to know the great news? Carrot seed priming is available for both organic and conventional cultivation practices. Due to the consumer demand for organic produce, new organic seed technologies are constantly being introduced to the market to help growers achieve their optimum yields.

#2 Seed Applied Crop Protection

Why not reduce your risk of the early onset of plant diseases upon germination? You may be using the standard Thiram treatment to reduce losses from damping off and seedling blights, but there are other excellent seed applied crop protection products for both organic and conventional growers.

Conventional growers may opt to utilize Syngenta’s FarMore® F300. F300 provides early season crop protection against a broad spectrum of seed and seedling diseases while eliminating or reducing the chance of viruses being transmitted by certain insects. Or if you are growing organically, protect your root crop from pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and other root decaying fungi with biological seed treatments such as T-22 or Actinovate. All of the crop protection options mentioned above may be combined with other seed technologies such as seed priming, pelleting and or micronutrients so that you may create your own customized seed technology solution.

#3 Seed Health Technologies

The initial stages of any living organism are vital to future growth and development. Seed health technologies are gaining popularity amongst growers because they offer a range of benefits that promote plant growth. Seed applied micronutrients focus on early plant nutrition even before the plant emerges. Availability of nutrients at emergence enhances root development and improves vigor for a better stand in the field which may help increase your yield.

In summary, because every grower has their unique growing environment or circumstances, it is wise that you discuss seed treatment options with your seed suppliers. Any of the three seed treatment options may be “stacked” or combined to create a customized seed treatment to meet your growing conditions. What works well for one grower may not be the right choice for your operation.

Today’s seed technologies and or treatments are more sophisticated than just a seed pellet. Scientifically developed to target different environments and cultivation practices, seed technologies are becoming a vital precision input that is a cost effective solution helping to reduce your risks, support your crop upon emergence, and ultimately improve your crop’s performance.