By Brian Hefty
In the quest for higher yields, many farmers and seed companies have been experimenting with adding fertility directly to the seed.
Whether it’s zinc on corn seed or molybdenum on soybean seed, we’ve tried it, and here’s the number one thing we’ve learned –
DO NOT DO IT!
As I say that, you may be able to give me an example of a high yield farmer or even a neighbor of yours who has had success applying fertilizer as a seed treatment, but to us, the risk of germination loss is too great. In almost all our trial work, adding fertilizer directly to the seed has hurt germination. Yes, it’s possible that if you get a low enough rate the germination loss is minimal, but it is so incredibly easy to over-do it, we do not believe this is a good practice.
Few, if any, seed companies will stand behind their seed if you apply fertilizer to the seed. What I mean by this is if you have a poor stand and the seed company learns you have applied fertilizer as a seed treatment, they may not help you with replant seed when your stand is poor due to low germination.
For years, we have talked about salt in the furrow and the damage that it can and often does do to seed. If you want to put fertilizer on for your crop, we have no issue with using a little bit of product in-furrow, but it’s basically the same concept as what we’re talking about here with applying fertilizer directly to seed. Is it possible that having a tiny, tiny amount drip onto the seed will be okay?
Yes. Is it extremely likely that getting a lot of fertilizer directly on any given seed will kill it?
Also yes.
Farming is all about risk-reward. Each year you invest money in rent or land payments, herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, and fertilizer. Our job is to help you navigate all the decisions you need to make so you come out ahead financially. The last thing you or I want to happen is you invest money in your crop and have it hurt your crop. That’s why I’m sharing what we’ve learned from our research, what we’ve learned from 51 years in the seed business, and what I have personally learned in over 30 years as a full-time agronomist. Please, please, please do not put fertilizer directly on your seed as a seed treatment. In our opinion, the potential reward is simply not worth the risk. There are many other ways to get fertility into your crop that are far safer. If you need any assistance in terms of how exactly to do that, how to read your soil tests, and how to get the right balance and amount of nutrients in your fields at the right time, we are more than happy to help you with that – for free, as part of our service – and by the way, you don’t even have to buy any fertilizer from us. We will still help you figure out the best overall plan for your farm.