Weeds Imported In Seeds?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 13, 16 January 1948, Page 5

Weeds Imported In Seeds?

Fields Officer Says Allegations Unsound Farmers who buy seed without knowing - what they buy, or sow without realising what they sow have only themselves to blame if they find troublesome weeds encroaching on their pastures, according to Mr E. R. Marryatt, fields officer of the Department of Agriculture. He * addressed the Whakatane Rotary Club at Wednesday’s luncheon on the subject of weeds in seeds.

Mr Marryatt prefaced his remarks by referring to recent allegations that troublesome weeds had been introduced into this district in grass seed. He claimed there Vvas no possible foundation for such a story concerning certified seed, and anyone who bought “on the blind” had to be prepared to face the consequences.

Every line of seed should have a purity and germination certificate, Mr Marryatt said, and if it had not a farmer could get a report on any sample. Certified seeds were examined in the field, and must conform to certain standards including freedom from troublesome weeds. Any that failed to reach that standard could be sold as uncertified seed, but specifications as to its purity and germination potential would be available.

Sacks of certified seed were sealed and the seals were usually hot broken before retail sale except under supervision of an officer, of the Fields Division, Mr Marryatt persued. Therefore, he claimed, any allegation that troublesome weed seeds came into Government certified seed had no foundation, but any that were bought in uncertified or mixed seeds reflected on nothing but the judgment of the farmer who bought that seed when a Government certified line was available.

Purity standards for Government certified seeds were very high, and he quoted from the analysis certificates of a number of actual samples to prove his statement. Government certified seed rated 96 or more per cent of pure seed and would not qualify for a certification with more than 2 per cent of weed seed.

On the infrequent occasions when a troublesome weeds did occur in certified seed, both the botanical and common name would be quoted on the certificate, with the number of seeds (by weight) per ounce. Allegedly cheap seeds, often attractively described by advertisers, seldom proved a good investment, and anyone contemplating their use would be well advised to ask for purity and germination certificates and, if those were not available, have samples submitted to a Government seed testing station.