| Food Plot Seed Bag Labels |
|
||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
By:
JL
Date:09-Sep-19
|
A FWIW thought...
I always read the labels on the plot seed bags to see what's in it. I check the test date but I wasn't exactly sure what the "test date" meant and what was involved in the "test". I did a little Googlin' and found this from Mossyoak and figured I'd throw it out there as it is an interesting subject. I thought it explained alot. BTW....another thing I look at it is how much inert material is in the bag I'm buying. I have seen one brand of seed that had ALOT of inert material in it....something north of 20%. That means less seed, more inert material. As the article states, some of the inert material is the seed coating however I think that 20% might be a little too high. As I recall it was one of those seeds that come in a clear plastic bottle. Just my 2 cents on that.
June 12, 2018
Understanding Food Plot Seed Labels
Buying your food plot seed can sometimes be a little confusing, given all the choices that are on the market today. Each year the team at BioLogic gets hundreds of phone calls asking about the seed analysis for the blends they are buying. Often people want to know if they are really buying good seed or are they buying less than perfect seed. At BioLogic we put a lot of thought, time, and effort into each blend to make sure the end consumer is getting the best bag of seed for the money they are spending. Before buying a bag of seed, be sure to look for the seed analysis label on the bag. The label will tell the consumer everything about the components inside the bag, so they will know exactly what they are buying. We get a lot of questions about the seed label and want to try to explain all aspects of the label. There are numerous items on the seed label, but one item you will really want to pay attention to. Always look for the Test Date on the label. Most states require seed to be retested at least every 12 months, while some states require it to be retested every 9 months. Be sure to look for the Test Date and make sure the seed has a current germ. If the Test Date is over 12 months, make sure to call the seed company and ask for a current germ on the specified lot # before purchase. Taking this step will assure a good conscience about your seed purchase. If there are other questions about your seed purchase, be sure to contact your local farm store or contact BioLogic at plantbiologic.com or 662-495-9292 for a further analysis.
1.Name of variety, blend or mixture.
2.Pure Seed: The percentage by weight of each of the components.
3.Other Crop Seed: The percentage by weight of other seeds that are not considered weeds. If this number is higher than 5%, the species must be listed on the tag.
4.Inert Matter: The percentage by weight of material that will not grow, such as broken seed, chaff, empty florets, coating material, etc.
5.Weed Seed: Percentage by weight of seeds not considered pure.
6.Noxious weeds: The percentage by weight of seeds that are considered noxious weeds as defined by each state(s) where the seed will be sold.
7.Company Name/Address: The name and address of the company providing the seed.
8.Germ: The percentage of pure seed that will germinate in a controlled lab.
9.Origin: The state or country in which the seed was produced.
10.Lot Number: Each lot of seed has a unique identification number used for tracking.
11.AMS: The shipper of the seed is identified by a unique number from the USDA Marketing Service.
12.Test Date: The specific month and year that the seed was tested for germination.
13.Net Weight: The total weight of the seed in the package or bag.
|
By:
Bow Man
Date:03-Oct-19
|
Germination test date – date should be within 12 months of the planned date for using the seed.
|
By:
JL
Date:05-Oct-19
|
It looks like the seed can be several years old yet still show a recent germ date.
|
By:
skookumjt
Date:05-Oct-19
|
In WI it's illegal to sell seed that is more than a year since test date but it's amazing how often I find buck in a bag seed t the stores that's much older.
|
By:
gobbler
Date:05-Oct-19
|
Good info Another thing people need to understand is how the pure seed percentage and germination rate plays into the amount of seed needed to plant. For example if a clover specie recommends 8 pounds per acre and you get 8 pounds of seed but pure seed is only 50% and germination rate is 80% you will need more than 8 pounds to get recommended 8 pounds per acre
|
By:
JL
Date:05-Oct-19
|
^great thought to consider.
