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Have you ever asked yourself questions like:

Do I understand how a seedling functions?

What are all the variables that can factor into seedlings becoming successful plants?

Am I testing my seed for all the parameters required to best understand its capability in any environment?

Well, at Taurus Ag we have, and here is what we know:

The purpose of a plant is simple, to survive long enough to make a seed to carry on its lineage or genetics to another life. However, if our focus is greater than merely surviving, but prospering, then more attention to detail is required for optimal genetic expression.

There will always be variability between seeds. That’s just a fact! Many things can cause this variability such as: where the seed was grown in the field, what area of the plant the seed was from, how the overall growing season was, and the quality of the fertility program it received. Fortunately, we can take steps to even out that variability. A prosperous seed has higher germination, high cold vigour, and high levels of internal nutrient content. Most growers test for germination, but we believe that testing for cold vigour and nutrient content is equally important to understand the genetic potential of each seed.

This is where the fun part comes in! Seedlings don’t chew their nutrients; they suck them! A high percentage of the nutrients are not just found in the endosperm of cereals, but also in the seed coat. These nutrients move to the embryo or scutellum through the aleurone once the seed is enbibed with moisture and germination starts.

If we tested our seedlings for nutrient content, we would find a varying range of critical nutrients like phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and manganese. These nutrients directly impact the seedling’s ability to germinate and grow vigorously in less-than-ideal environments. Therefore, we believe that there is a link between seedling nutrition and vigor.

So, if we can take your average seeds with average nutrition or a lack of a certain nutrient and balance that out with a nutrient dressing, we can ensure that every seedling has a chance to be a formidable plant. Great seedlings grow great roots tapping into great fertility programs. Poor seedlings do not. And if you created a fertility program for your seedlings like you did your fields, who knows what wonders you could achieve? Those seeds wouldn’t suck anymore!

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