Innovation in seed care isn’t just defense — it’s growth insurance.
As harvest winds down and bins fill up, the thoughtful farmer’s mind naturally turns to spring. What worked this year? What didn’t? These questions aren’t just idle musings — they’re the foundation of a strong start when the planter rolls out again.
In today’s Seed World Innovation Webinar, agronomist Sarah Budde Rodriguez of Tidal Grow AgriScience offered growers a simple reminder: preparation for next year begins today.
Watch Your Emergence
Quick, uniform seedling emergence is the bedrock of yield. When every plant pushes through the soil together, the crop gets a head start on weeds, disease, and weather swings. Poor emergence, on the other hand, often means replanting, wasted seed, and uneven stands.
Check for Vigour
A healthy stand is more than numbers. It’s sturdy stems, deep green leaves, and robust roots. Strong plants tolerate stress better and make the most of every nutrient and drop of water.
Soil Tells the Story
Before spring, don’t forget the soil beneath your boots. Temperature, pH, drainage, and organic matter all shape how seeds germinate and grow. Even residue management matters — left unchecked, it can harbour disease or tangle equipment. But broken down properly, that residue becomes next season’s fertility.
Residue Matters
“Think of residue as both a challenge and an opportunity,” Rodriguez explains. Products that help break it down can improve soil health, reduce disease carryover, and make for smoother planting come spring.
No One-Size-Fits-All
Each farm, each field, is different. The right set of questions to ask this fall may not be the same ones a grower asked last year — or the ones your neighbour asks today. But the habit of asking, reflecting, and adjusting is timeless.
The best crops are rooted not just in soil, but in forethought. Farmers who plan now — who walk their fields with questions in mind — are setting the stage for a harvest worth the wait.
A New Look at Seed Treatments
While traditional seed treatments have long helped fend off pests and disease, new approaches are focusing on ways to improve germination speed, root growth, and early-season vigour. Tidal Grow AgriScience offers chitosan-based treatments — precisely bioengineered seed enhancements derived from seafood byproducts.
Farmers testing such technologies report quicker stand establishment, more uniform emergence, and in some cases, drier crops at harvest — meaning less time and money spent on grain drying. It’s one more reminder that innovation in seed care isn’t just about defense — it’s about giving young plants the best possible start.
