SEED COATINGS FOR GERMINATION CONTROL

THE FIRST STEP OF SEED GERMINATION IS WATER IMBIBITION. RAPID IMBIBITION, PARTICULARLY AT LOW TEMPERATURES, IS DAMAGING TO THE SEED OF MANY COMMERCIAL CROPS. ADDITIONALLY, SEEDS WILL IMBIBE WATER AT TEMPERATURES BELOW WHICH GERMINATION CAN OCCUR. THESE SEEDS THEN RESIDE IN COOL DAMP SOIL UNTIL A WARMER SOIL TEMPERATURE, NECESSARY FOR GERMINATION, IS REACHED. DURING THIS TIME THEY ARE PRONE TO WATER STRESS DAMAGE, AND FUNGAL ATTACK. LANDEC LABS, INC. HAS DEVELOPED A POLYMERIC MEMBRANE WHICH IS A GOOD MOISTURE BARRIER AT LOW TEMPERATURE, THEN BECOMES PERMEABLE AT SLIGHTLY HIGHER TEMPERATURES. THIS TEMPERATURERANGE CAN BE SELECTED TO COINCIDE WITH THE OPTIMUM GERMINATION CONDITIONS FOR SPECIFIC SEED SPECIES. A SEED COATING TECHNOLOGY IS PROPOSED WHICH PREVENTS WATER IMBIBITION BELOW A SELECTED TEMPERATURE, YET ALLOWS RAPID GERMINATION ABOVE THAT TEMPERATURE.