THE SEED TRADE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 216, 12 August 1937, Page 5

THE SEED TRADE.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL. ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. The seed trade was discussed by 7 Mr N. R. Foy, seed analyst of the Department of Agriculture, Palmerston North, in tlie course of a paper given before the annual conference of the New Zealand Grassland Association, at Dunedin. Mr Foy also dealt with the question of “bushel weight” in the sale of seeds. .Mr Foy said that the marketing of agricultural seeds demanded not only trade integrity of the highest order, but also the exercising of considerable technical knowledge and skill, and, unfortunately. it had to be admitted that to some degree in all countries seed was still handled by vendors who were in no sense of the term “seedsmen” and who could pretend to no knowledge of seeds nor of their evaluation, or the interpretation of analytical or varietal data. Hence there was a need almost throughout the world for various enactments to control in some way the sale and distribution of agricultural seed. It was true with the advancement of agricultural practice, particularly in respect of grasslands, that the seedsmen wore becoming specialists, in many eases in spite of themselves, and with this advance the purely commercial man was being relegated more and more into the discard. This specialisation had become particularly noticeable in New Zealand and Australia during recent years, and could be associated with the institution of strain certification schemes, and in New Zealand

particularly with a characteristic feature, the almost entire reliance of the established trade on percentage ‘of purity and germination. It would be admitted generally that this technical bias was in the best interests, not only of the members of the trade themselves, but also of the country’s agricultural industry.

In the Australian and New Zealand seed trades we had two distinct types, both of course resulting from the requirements peculiar to the respective countries and to the outlook and policy of the different Governments. Australia followed the example of most agricultural countries in providing fairly strict legislation to govern the entry of seed into Australia, and its

sale within the States of the Commonwealth, whereas the position in New Zealand was unioue in that although

one of the foremost pastoral countries of the world, a seed-producing and exporting country, there was as yet nothing on the Statute Book which required that seed when offered for sale should conform to prescribed standards of quality, a state of affairs apparently considered to be so desirable and essential elsewhere. Yet against this was the fact that it was - generally readily considered that the standard of the trade in New Zealand was on the whole a high one. and one ventured the opinion that viewed broadly it was of a higher standard than the trade of Australia. Until recentlv the Australian trade had been almost entirely a retail one, and it was in this trade that opportunitly permits of some relaxation which coukl not persist in wholesale and export trading. One felt therefore that the fact that most New Zealand retailers were first wholesalers, and that as a wholesale trade was based entirely on specified value, the practice of selling on a quality basis had automatically extended to the retail trade. The position outlined referred only to the established reputable wholesale and retail houses. SEED TESTING. Agricultural seed was not a unTTorm product; variations in one or other of its main characteristics were always to be found, and for this reason it was difficult material to standardise, especially within narrow margins. Nevertheless, standards were necessary for the industry, either those fixed by law or those arbitrary standv'ds established and catered to voluntarily, by a seed trade itself. Competition in honest seeds, honestly traded, provided an automatic control system, which, if the seedsman was educated and encouraged to take something more than a business solely - for profit nearly approached an ideal system of seed distribution.

There could be no question that seedtesting had instituted as a protection against sharp and fraudulent practices, but had now advanced beyond the purely protective function for the farmer to a very close association with the trade itself; in fact, a seed-testing station could almost be regarded as a component nart of the trade. However, circumstances demanded that the services be operated by an independent body, and for that reason most stations were maintained bv the State, whose duty it was to see that its services synchronised as closely as possible with trade movement. To-da.v the reliance of the legitimate trade upon percentages of purity and germ;nation, and to a somewhat different degree upon strain certification, was almost complete; at least that was the position in New Zealand. BUSHEL WEIGHT IMPORTANT.

The question frequently arose, particularly in respect of perennial ryegrass, was bushel weight essential to an estimation of value? Did it convey a false impression as to quality, or was it so much “hocus pocus”. employed by the trade to impress and bewilder retail buyers?, p,Bushel weight was of importance ? in the estimation of value and quality. It all depended on the definition of value and the particular factors responsible for a high or low bushel weight. If weight was a measure of quality, what constituted the particular merit of a line of high weight? IVere there more seeds to the pound, or were the seeds themselves possessed of some special characteristic? In order to test this point the number of seeds per pound had been estimated for a range of samples of certified perennial ryegrass of bushel weights rising irom 251 b. to 351 b. It lias been found that there was no constant relationship between bushel weight and the number of seeds per pound, and that both were influenced by the immeasurable characteristics, weight and size of grain, that was immeasurable except by weight per bushel of "rain plus glume, or more inconveniently but more accurately, by estimating the weight of 1,000 seeds. The question must arise, then, were the weight and size of grain significant? If so, then bushel weight was an important factor; if not, there should be no price difference between lines of low and high weight, all other factors being equal. The answer must be narrowed down to the matter of quality, and its definition in relation to seed value. A line might be of high purity and germination, good strain, and yet of poor quality, and the only easily determinable factor which could bi

e. used to discriminate between the quality of two lines, equal in strain, purity and germination, was bushel weight. Strictly speaking, the weight of‘l,ooo seeds was a mure accurate and precise method of evaluation, but the two serve the requirement—a measure of quality which might be defined as “substance,” “body,” or “stamina.” It had been repeatedly shown that the plant establishment was dependent not only on the ability of the seed to germinate, but also on its abiliy to produce normal root and shooj, and to commence an independent existence in the soil. Under the most favourable conditions any viable seed could establish, but given unfavourable, or

even average soil conditions, “the proportion of establishment of viable seed was dependent on the latent energy stored by the seed, the releasing of which supported the seedling through ,the critical period of root and shoot formation. There should he no argument against the fact that heavy, full-grain-ed, mature seeds were more generously provided with the necessary materials to enable survival during unfavourable establishment conditions, and that the seed of a proportionately low grain weight would fail through the absence of the essential quality-stamina. It did not necessarily mean that all seed of high bushel weight is of equally high quality. Heavily dressed, small grained lines (redressed seconds) would return a high weight and a very large number of sqeds per pound, hut it could not l>e said that such a line was of high quality. However, the size of the seed would be evident to the purchaser, and also the reason for the high weight. EVALUATION OF SEED. As was generally known, prices increased proportionately with bushel weight, which fact, no doubt, was the reason for the enquiry, does the buyer get more for him money? Provided the lino was of normal appearance the answer is “Yes, more plant producing material, but not necessarily mere seeds.” It follows that as high-weight lines'were worth more to grower and trader, anproxiriiately 3d. per bushel for every pound increase in ehrondrometor weight, over-dressing of lines of average quality proved to be easy and profitable, and although the practice was not prevalent, some lines return an exaggerated (nice to value ratio. Simply put, the position was this: for instance, a 301 b. line contained 270.000 seeds per pound and was priced at 10s per bushel ; if this line was heavily machined, the protruding, light-weighing glumes broken off, more of the seeds could be packed into a bushel measure; the weight would increase to 331 b. the price to 10s 9d to 11s per bushel, but the number of seeds per pound weight remained about the same. The purchaser thus paid 9d. or Is per bushel more for exactly nothing; but in pre-certification days, a heavy-weight line at 33-341 b. was traded as highgrade old pasture, the higher price return more than covering the additional dressing cost' The sale and use of over-dressed seed was preferable to that, of lines under average weight, where the seed was very light and of poor quality. As a protection against the trading of this class of seed, although of satisfactory purity and germination, the continuance of the use of bushel weight was justified. A mature, well-grown and harvested, fully machine-dressed line of perennial ryegrass should weigh bushel weight but princarily to ratoi of 28-321 b. could be regarded as representative of average quality. The main contributing factor, therefore. in bushel weight was the size and density of the grain, the number of seeds per pound being related normally not to bushel weight but primarily toratio of size and weight of grain to length of glume. When weight was employed as an index value, it should bo associated with a superficial examination of the seed itself, when the reasons for unusually high weight would be evident. If the seed were of average size and condition, high or low weight would be due to a high or low grain mass. If the seed were below average, in size and the bushel weight exceptionally high, tlie reason for the abnormal weight would be evident—a dense mass - of small units against a dense mass ot larger units exemplified by lu&b quality average we:glit. Therefore, unduly high weight, while preferable to weights below average, should be regarded with caution unless, of course, an extremely high number of seeds per pound was desired, in which case such lines ably filled requirements. -For the evaluation of -seed on a weight basis, the “weight of 1.000 seeds” was the only really reliable method. It was used in some European countries, but had been displaced generally by bushel weight on account of the case and convenience of the determination of tlie last named, and the easy standard interpretation of “30-31” of “331 b.” seed. Nevertheless, from the point of view of application, the 1,000 seed weight had all the advantages of bushel weight, and noire of the disadvantages, in that whatever tlie contributing circumstances, immaturity of low bushel weight seed, averdressing of average weight seed, or redressing of high weight terminal seconds, the fact was demonstrated by the 1,000 seed weight. On this basis tlie ideal should lie the highest weight, ivliich, incidentally, would return a ower number cf seeds per pound. Hie Highest numhsr of seeds per pound vould be returned obviously by low L.OOO weight, by lines of abnormally ijgli or abnoramlly low bushel weight.