- Sowing
Sowing is the process of planting
seeds .owing in practice
Pretreatment of seed and soil before sowing
Before sowing, certain seeds first require a treatment prior to the sowing process.This treatment may be
seed scarification ,stratification ,seed soaking orseed cleaning with cold (or medium hot) water.Seed soaking is generally done by placing seeds in medium hot water for at least 24 to up to 48 hours [ [http://earthnotes.tripod.com/seeds.htm Pre-sowing treatments of seed] ] Seed cleaning is done especially with fruit (as the flesh of the fruit around the seed can quickly become prone to attack from insects or plagues. [ [http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/sprashu.html Sprout safety: how to combat contamination of seed] ] [Seed Germination, Theory and Practice'; by Dr. Norman C. Deno] To clean the seed, usually
seed rubbing s with cloth/paper is performed, sometimes assisted with aseed washing [ [http://www.arpnjournals.com/jabs/research_papers/rp_2008/jabs_0108_64.pdf Seed cleaning by seed washings and seed rubbings] ] . Seed washing is generally done by submerging cleansed seeds 20 minutes in 50° Celsius water [Exotische vruchten kweken by Dr. Gabriele Lehari] . This (rather hot than moderatly hot) water kills any organisms that may have survived on the skin of the seed. Especially with easily infected tropical fruit such aslychee s andrambutan s, seed washings with high temperature water is vital.In addition to the mentioned seed pretreatments,
seed germination is also assisted when disease-free soil is used. Especially when trying to germinate difficult seed (eg certain tropical fruit), prior treatment of the soil (along with the usage of the most suitable soil; egpotting soil , prepared soil or othersubstrate s) is vital. The two most used soil treatments arepasteurisation andsterilisation . Depending on the necessity, pasteurisation is to be preferred as this does not kill all organisms. Sterilisation can be done when trying to grow truly difficult crops. To pasturise the soil, the soil is heated for 15 minutes in an oven of 120° Celsius. [Exotische vruchten kweken by Dr. Gabriele Lehari]Plants which are usually sown
Among the major field crops,
oat s,wheat , andrye are sowed, grasses and legumes are seeded, andmaize andsoybean s are planted. In planting, wider rows (generally 75 cm (30 in) or more) are used, and the intent is to have precise, even spacing between individual seeds in the row; various mechanisms have been devised to count out individual seeds at exact intervals.owing depth
In seeding, little if any soil is placed over the seeds. More precisely, seeds can be generally sown into the soil by maintaining a planting depth of about 2-3 times the size of the seed.
owing types and patterns
For hand sowing, several sowing types exist; these include [ [http://www.jar.com.pk/pdf/8-Effect%20of%20Sowing.pdf Types of sowing types] ] :
*Flat sowing
*Ridge sowing
*Wide bed sowing Several patterns for sowing may be used together with these types; these include:
* Regular rows
* Rows that are indented at the even rows (so that the seeds are placed in a crossed pattern). This method is much better, as more light may fall on the seedlings as they come out.Types of sowing
Hand sowing
Hand sowing is the process of casting handfuls of seed over prepared ground: broadcasting. Usually, a drag or harrow is employed to incorporate the seed into the soil. Though labor intensive for any but small areas, this method is still used in some situations. Practice is required to sow evenly and at the desired rate. A hand seeder can be used for sowing, though it is less of a help than it is for the smaller seeds of grasses and legumes.
Hand sowing may be combined with pre-sowing in
seed tray s. This allows the plants to come to strength indoors during cold periods (eg spring in temperate countries).In
agriculture , most seed is now sown using aseed drill , which offers greater precision; seed is sown evenly and at the desired rate. The drill also places the seed at a measured distance below the soil, so that less seed is required. The standard design uses a fluted feed metering system, which is volumetric in nature; individual seeds are not counted. Rows are typically about 10-30 cm apart, depending on the crop species and growing conditions. Several row opener types are used depending on soil type and local tradition. Grain drills are most often drawn bytractor s, but can also be pulled byhorse s. Pickup trucks are sometimes used, since little draft is required.A seed rate of about 100 kg of seed per hectare (2 bushels per acre) is typical, though rates vary considerably depending on crop species, soil conditions, and farmer's preference. Excessive rates can cause the crop to
lodge , while too thin a rate will result in poor utilisation of the land, competition withweed s and a reduction in theyield .Open field
Open-field refers to the form of sowing used historically in the agricultural context whereby fields are prepared generically and left open, as the name suggests, before being sown directly with seed. The seed is frequently left uncovered at the surface of the soil before germinating and therefore exposed to the prevailing
climate and conditions. This is in contrast to theseedbed method used more commonly in domesticgardening or more specific (modern) agricultural scenarios where the seed is applied beneath the soil surface and monitored and manually tended frequently to ensure more successful growth rates and better yields.ee also
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Plant propogation
*Planter (farm implement) References
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