Seed coating question

[grassfarmer]

I've been looking into seeding alfalfa and spotted a blend that was half priced compared to the usual $4.20-$5.00/lb for alfalfa. It was described as "pelletized seed" so I called the company and he could tell me it was cheap because you needed a lot of it - with this seed coating on you only get 12,000 seeds per pound. Traditionally alfalfa was 200,000 seeds per pound. Not cheap enough half the price - considering you get only 1 seed where you got 16 before! It's quite the racket - rather like the street corner drug dealer cutting his merchandise with chalk of flour. Looking at some of the other coated forage seeds it seems we are often getting 1/3 of the seeds per pound we used to get.
Is canola the same? how many coated seeds do you get versus non-coated?

[Klause]

Alfalfa Timothy etc are way smaller than canola. And cam be hard to seed. Pelletizing it makes it easier to seed with air drills or broadcasting..


Canola seed is treated. The coating is very thin and makes next to no difference in seed size. Often times the coating is way smoother and actually helps more seed to fit in the same space (compare tkw before and after treating)

[Guest]

I've been looking into seeding alfalfa and spotted a blend that was half priced compared to the usual $4.20-$5.00/lb for alfalfa. It was described as "pelletized seed" so I called the company and he could tell me it was cheap because you needed a lot of it - with this seed coating on you only get 12,000 seeds per pound. Traditionally alfalfa was 200,000 seeds per pound. Not cheap enough half the price - considering you get only 1 seed where you got 16 before! It's quite the racket - rather like the street corner drug dealer cutting his merchandise with chalk of flour. Looking at some of the other coated forage seeds it seems we are often getting 1/3 of the seeds per pound we used to get.
Is canola the same? how many coated seeds do you get versus non-coated?

we can't get more than $1.50 for good alfalfa seed here , grown from certified . need a $1.80 no one will pay it . going into storage , I guess?

[grassfarmer]

Don't know about airseeders Klause but there is no problem broadcasting regular un-pelletized seed. It sounds like a money making process to me.

Caseih, unfortunately i'm not needing much alfalfa or i'd buy some seed from you - could give you $2.50 or $3 and still be ahead. Opportunities there to sell direct in tote bags maybe? We bought some hairy vetch seed like that last spring and it was a good deal for both of us. The glossy booklets the big seed Co.s send out showing better varieties and higher prices every year is a contrast from you guys growing and trying to sell the product. Same old story - the middleman taking too much of the pie.

[Guest]

Don't know about airseeders Klause but there is no problem broadcasting regular un-pelletized seed. It sounds like a money making process to me.

Caseih, unfortunately i'm not needing much alfalfa or i'd buy some seed from you - could give you $2.50 or $3 and still be ahead. Opportunities there to sell direct in tote bags maybe? We bought some hairy vetch seed like that last spring and it was a good deal for both of us. The glossy booklets the big seed Co.s send out showing better varieties and higher prices every year is a contrast from you guys growing and trying to sell the product. Same old story - the middleman taking too much of the pie.

yea sure is frustrating . they pay $1.50 , run it thru cleaner and bag and innocolate it for $4.50 /lb . and that's $180/bu profit for a gunny sack , little bit of innoculant and some cleaner time. often wondered why more beef and dairy guys don't get together and buy some direct .

[foragefarmer]

Valmar works best for seeding all forages, no need to be coated.

[woodland]

Caseih I'm just curious what varieties you grow since we will be seeding down a lot of pasture in the next year or two. Maybe we could eliminate the middleman??

Thanks

[Guest]

Caseih I'm just curious what varieties you grow since we will be seeding down a lot of pasture in the next year or two. Maybe we could eliminate the middleman??

Thanks

i will email you