This spring is teeing up to be fast and furious thanks to Mother Nature. And the team at Growing Matters is asking farmers to keep stewardship of treated seed top of mind.
“Growers are very good stewards of their environment, they don’t need to be told but a reminder doesn’t hurt when we’re thinking about 10 million things at once this spring,” says Nick Tinsley of BASF. “There’s really no excuse to take an extra moment and think about what’s going on so that you can have a safe, planting operation, not just for yourself but also for your local environment.”
He says the first consideration is simple: get the seed that has spilled off the ground. Large spills can be recovered, transferred to a container and then put into the planter. With small amount of seed, check the label which will detail how deep to cover the seed with dirt—so it’s not easily accessible by birds.
The growing matters coalition is a group of organizations and individuals committed to scientific discourse on the stewardship benefits and alternatives of neonic insecticides in North America.
Also read 9 Ways to Help Protect Pollinators Now
Seed represents one of the most important investments farmers make, and there has been a high adoption rate of seed treatments.
“Farmers really have come to rely on the reliable nature of seed treatments and preventing insects and disease issues in their field,” Tinsley says.
He provides three reminders:
1. Use the seed lubricant (such as talc or graphite) listed on the planter manual.
“It’s about reducing any dust,” Tinsley says. And includes advanced seed lubricants that have been introduced as another tool to use.
2. Consider control of pollinating plants to reduce impact on pollinators.
“Bees and other insects are attracted to pollinating plants–maybe make those areas less attractive around planting time,” Tinsley says.
3. Factor in the weather.
“At the time of planting activities, be mindful of the wind speed and direction in terms of any dust and where it might move around,” Tinsley says.
You can hear more from Tinsley in this clip from AgriTalk:
Also, visit https://growingmatters.org/BeSure
