Machine Dressing of Certified Seed on the Farm

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 70, Issue 4, 16 April 1945, Page 341

Machine Dressing of Certified Seed on the Farm

By

G.K. McPHERSON,

Instructor in Agriculture,

Ashburton,

L ‘ VERY season a considerable quantity of the •**— 4 perennial ryegrass seed dressed on the farm by travelling dressing plants comes into one or other of the mercantile firms, and is eventually entered for certification in the Permanent Pasture class. Originally, travelling plants were designed with the primary object of dressing lines of seed on the farm for the farmer’s own use, and in this connection they have performed and are performing a very useful service. During the past few years, however, the production of certified seeds has increased enormously, and travelling plants are now being called upon to dress seed, not only for the purpose mentioned above, but also for sale purposes and for export.

THIS necessitates not only a high uniform standard of 1 purity in the dressed article, but also the bagging of the seed in suitably-branded, attractive sacks. In general the standard of the work done by travelling plants is quite good, but unfortunately lines of seed which are most unsatisfactory at times do come into store. In order

to obviate this position and improve the standard and appearance of seed offered for certification, it is necessary to obtain the co-operation and the assistance of both the plant operators and the farmers, who utilise these plants. The main factors to which attention could be given with a view to improvement of the standard of the seed dressed on the farm are as follows:

1. Quality of Sacks

Seed to be eligible for certification must be bagged in either new sacks or good, clean second-hand sacks. For some years now some farmers have sent dressed seed into store bagged in old sacks, dirty sacks, sacks with holes in them, or sacks with a various assortment of ink brands on them. In the past such lines, if accepted for certification, have had to be rebagged before tagging and sealing. Owing to the work involved, however, it is not intended to rebag any further lines of seed in the Ashburton district. In future only those lines of grass seed which have been bagged in new sacks or good, sound second-hand sacks will be sampled for certification purposes.

Any lines which come into store in sacks which do not comply with the standard mentioned will not be sampled until the farmers concerned have made arrangements to have the lines rebagged. When seed,

which will later be entered for .. certification, is being dressed on the farm it will therefore be in the farmer’s interests to provide the plant operator with suitable sacks in order to avoid the necessity of rcbagging. 2. Sewing of Sacks The incorrect sewing of sacks should be brought to the notice of travelling plant operators. In the past hundreds of sacks of perennial ryegrass dressed by travelling plants have had to be resown because the stitching did not comply with the certification regulations. In the future all sacks must be correctly sewn before they will be sampled for certification purposes. In the first place it is necessary with certified seed to ensure that the knot on the twine is properly buried in the fold of the sack, and secondly it is not permissible to have any knots on the twine throughout the stitching. It may be added here that lines of seed passed for certification must have a tag and seal attached to the free end of the twine. Farmers must ensure, therefore, that sufficient length is left at the free end of the twine for this to be done. 3. Presence of Weed Seeds If second-hand sacks are being used, they should be carefully examined to ensure that there are no weed

seeds, such as hair grass or trefoil, adhering to the insides of the sacks. The insides of sacks of some lines of perennial ryegrass dressed on farms and entered for certification have been simply coated with a mat of hair grass. Lines stored in such sacks have had to be redressed and put into fresh sacks. 4. Branding of Sacks When dressing perennial ryegrass intended for entry into certification it would be an advantage and would add to the attractiveness of the line if the sacks could be branded or stencilled with the words “M/D perennial ryegrass.” 5. Weight of Sacks ' There have been „ considerable variations in the weights of individual sacks of lines dressed on farms. This is a drawback when seed ' is being marketed, and all sacks should contain the same weight of seed. Overfilling of sacks should also be avoided. Lines occasionally come into store with the sacks sewn without any overlap. 6. Dressing of Seed Certification not only . necessitates seed of a reasonable standard of purity, but it also demands that the dressed seed be of an even blend throughout. Frequently, however, farmers send into stores lines of seed in which there is considerable variation. Possibly sacks of dressed seeds, from different areas and of different purity standards, may become mixed

on the farm after dressing, or the variation may be. due to the inclusion of the redressed seconds in the main line. It is important - that lines of seed from different areas of the farm should be kept apart and entered for certification as separate lines, or, alternatively, that the lines should be thoroughly blended so as to give an even standard of quality throughout.