Issue 52 / Winter / June 2014

Hi #subname#

Welcome to the June edition of Specialty Seed's SeedData Newsletter.

Well it appears someone opened the fridge door at the end of May and right on time winter has arrived. For most of us April and May were wetter and warmer than normal, of the many positive things that arise from this is the state of the winter green feed crops.

I've spend the last few weeks looking around at them and generally they are looking better than average. Dry land kale crops maybe up as much as 25% in yield, a real bonus.

Once again fodder beet has been a stand out crop with some very high yields reported. The average fodder beet crop would be in the 25 to 27 tonne region it's great to have seen the high yielding (40 tonne +) crops out there as it sets a bench mark to aim for. Needless to say crops from 25 tonne + are producing dry matter at a very low cost per kg/DM.

Tip: Keep measuring your brassica / fodder beet crop throughout the winter as these crops will keep growing. If you rely on one test, normally mid-April, you might not be using the crops full potential.


This month we will cover the following topics:

• NZ seed houses - A new name in the seed industry
• Handling treated seed - under the spotlight

New Zealand Seed Houses - A new name in the seed industry

Germinal Seeds and the Yates family recently announced the establishment of a new company called "New Zealand Seed Houses" that will represent Germinal Seeds products in the local market.

Many of you are currently successfully using Germinal branded products (i.e. AberMagic HSG perennial ryegrass) and for farmers nothing here will change. It will remain "business as usual", however the new company will see the introduction of more Germinal seed products onto the New Zealand market.

The Yates seed business, like Germinal seeds, is a family affair. The Yates family have been selling seed in New Zealand since 1882 while Germinal seed selling roots can be traced back to Northern Ireland since 1885.

As you can see both companies a lot in common, with a long history and vast experience in the seed business which will no doubt see NZ Seed Houses be a major player in our market in the years to come.

Website Link: Click here for more information on NZ Seed houses.
Contact Link: Contact Specialty Seeds for more information.


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Handling treated seed - under the spotlight


Over my years in the New Zealand farming industry I have always been involved with the use of agricultural chemicals and have watched their use change dramatically.

When I first started "on the road" my clients were bemoaning the fact that DDT had just been removed from their tool chest and subsidies on other commonly used chemicals were slowly being removed.

Today the agricultural chemical industry is vastly different, the products we use are very well tested before the go on sale and the use rates per hectare very much lower, in some cases we achieve excellent insect control at rates as low as 90 mls per hectare. Seed treatments are leading this charge and I'm picking over the next few years the use of them will be more common.

Handling of seeds treated with fungicides, insecticides and growth promoters does however have to be done with the same care and attention we currently use with the traditional chemicals.

To help give farmers a better understanding when handling treated seed, AGCARM and the New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade association have produced a "best practice" pamphlet. Within it farmers will find useful common sense tips which if followed will ensure the correct use of seed treatment products.

For a downloadable copy of this booklet please follow the below link or contact us.


Download Link: Download the Handling and Planting treated seed brochure.
Contact Link: Contact Specialty Seeds with any brassica questions

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As always, we hope this issue has been of some value to you. If you have a comment on this newsletter or anything on our website, please give us a call on our Freephone: 0800 727 8873, send us an email at: mail@specseed.co.nz.


Kind Regards



Stephen Finch & David Percival
Specialty Seeds - New Zealand