|
SEED
COATING MEANS
PROTECTION RELEASE OF NUTRITIVE ELEMENTS AND
DEFENCE AGAINST PATHOGENS. IN FACT IT IS WELL
KNOWN THAT THE FIRST STAGES OF SEEDLINGS
DEVELOPMENT ARE THE MOST CRITICAL FOR A
SUCCESSFUL ESTABLISHMENT.
LET
US TAKE A LOOK AT THE BENEFITS
COATED
SEEDS CAN:
-
CARRY
MICROORGANISMS NECESSARY FOR THE ASSIMILATION OF
NUTRITIVE ELEMENTS- FOR EXAMPLE RHIZOBIUM
BACTERIA ON LEGUMES (SEE FOLLOWING PAGE)
-
CARRY
SEED TREATMENTS SUCH AS PESTICIDES AND
FUNGICIDES
-
CARRY
NUTRITIVE ELEMENTS AND FERTILIZERS
-
PROTECT
SEED FROM BIRDS AND INSECTS - IN FACT COATING
COMPONENTS ARE NOT TOXIC BUT THEY DON’T EVEN
ATTRACT THEM
-
PROTECT
SEED FROM MECANIC STRESS CAUSED BY SEEDING
MACHINES
-
HAVE
BALISTIC PROPERTIES DURING RANDOM SOWING
-
LESS
HARD-SEEDS CONTENT WHICH MEANS HIGHER IMMEDIATE
GERMINATION PERCENTAGE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
LEGUME SPECIES SUCH AS
ALFALFA, CLOVERS ETC…
COATING
FOR CARRYING NITROGEN FIXING BACTERIA IN ALFALFA
CROPS:
ALFALFA
PLANTS CAN INTAKE CONSIDERABLE QUANTITIES OF
NITROGEN THANKS TO BACTERIA OF THE RHIZOBIUM
GENDER WHICH LIVE SYMBIOTICALLY WITH THE PLANT
ROOTS.
SMALL
NODULES CAN IN FACT BE SEEN ON THE ROOTS OF AN
INOCULATED PLANT. THESE NODULES CONTAIN RHIZOBIUM
WHICH GIVE ASSIMILABLE NITROGEN TO THE PLANT IN
EXCHANGE FOR OTHER NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS .
RHIZOBIA CAN TRANSFORM AIR NITROGEN CONTAINED IN
THE SOIL INTO AMMONIACAL NITROGEN, WHICH CAN BE
ASSIMILATED BY THE PLANT.
BACTERIA
OF THE RHIZOBIUM
GENDER ARE NORMALLY FOUND IN MANY TYPES OF SOIL
IN DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS, BUT OWING TO STRICT
ROTATIONS ALSO IN RHIZOBIUM RICH SOILS THE
BACTERIA CONCENTRATION CAN BE INADEQUATE TO
ALLOW A RAPID NODULATION PROCESS AND A
CONSEQUENT NITROGEN FIXATION.
WHAT
ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF RHIZOBIUM INOCULATED
ALFALFA?
- RAPID AND SAFE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
PLANT
-
SAVING
IN FERTILIZATION THANKS TO THE ELIMINATION OF
NITROGEN (BASED) FERTILIZERS WHICH CAN
CONTAMINATE THE WATER TABLE
-
MAXIMUM
PROTEIN CONTENT IN THE PLANT, IN A WIDER RANGE
OF GROWING CONDITIONS
-
USE
OF AN ORGANIC, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
FERTILIZATION SYSTEM
FIG. 1) RHIZOBIUM INOCULATED AND COATED SEEDS
GERMINATES IN AIR
NITROGEN (N2) HABITAT
FIG. 2) COATED RHIZOBIA SPREAD INTO THE SOIL , NEAR THE PLANT ROOTS
FIG. 3) AT THE END OF NODULATION PROCESS BACTERIA
ARE FIXED INSIDE THE NODULES. RHIZOBIA
PROCESS N2 IN AMMONIA (NH3) WHICH IS ASSIMILATED
BY THE PLANT.
|
