Why Use Seed Starters?

Biological seed starters are an affordable and effective way to optimize:

• seed germination
• plant establishment
• early growth
• yield potential

Utilizing biological seed starters is also one of the lowest financial investments a grower can make to maximize productivity and improve the bottom line.

WHY USE SEED STARTERS

Once the seed is planted, it is important that germination occurs uniformly and quickly. If the soil is too cold, germination can be delayed. This can result in seed damage and uneven emergence and, in certain cases, re-seeding may be necessary. Seed starters are effective against problems that occur in cold, wet soils, especially limited disturbance and no-till operations and in areas of low moisture. Seed starters are also effective against a broad spectrum of problems including seed decay, seedling diseases and soil pathogens.

Natural seed starters can:

• make less available forms of soil phosphate available to plants
• promote nitrogen fixation, root development and quick emergence
• stimulate cell division
• increase stress tolerance

In addition, seed treatments can increase the vigor of treated plants helping them resist damage by pathogenic fungi and damping off. Typically, this results in:

• Early root growth and larger roots resulting in better access to moisture and nutrients which translates into improved health throughout the life cycle of the crop.
• A more consistent plant stand and increased yields. 

Plants naturally create a zone of nutrient depletion around their roots and to access new sources of nutrients, they can either:

• Grow more roots and root hairs 
• Form a symbiotic relationship with a fungus whose hyphae (threadlike filaments) can absorb nutrients for uptake by the plants

Most vascular plants (plants that have specialized tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant) can form such relationships, which are called "mycorrhizae". Mycorrhizal fungi include those living on the surface of plants and those which enter the plant itself.

Seed starters can colonize plant roots and send out filaments into the surrounding soil. These filaments form a bridge that connects the plant roots with large areas of soil (up to 200 times larger than the root zone) and act as a "pipeline" to funnel nutrients to the plant. In return, the plant discharges compounds, through its roots, to stimulate fungal growth.  The efficacy of the fungi is also enhanced by soil microbes such as bacillus. These bacteria, many of which are aerobic, affect root colonization and function by producing vitamins, hormones, and other compounds that promote fungal growth.

Fungi are best known for their ability to improve plant growth in low phosphate soils by transporting phosphate to the plant. Other benefits associated with root colonization by fungi include increased absorption of nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, sulphur, boron, molybdenum, etc. Due in part to the association of certain soil microbes with the fungi, many of these non-mobile elements are made water soluble by the microbes, absorbed by the fungi, and translocated to the plant through the filament "pipeline". 

Fungi can increase the disease resistance of plants against root pathogens, especially when the fungi can adequately colonize the root before the pathogen attacks. Fungi are important in forming stable soil aggregates by binding soil particles in the filamentous mass as well as producing sticky substances that hold the particles together. Due mainly to improved plant nutrition, fungi colonization can also improve plant drought resistance.

Soil disturbances such as discing may destroy the filament network connections to the plant roots. Fungi are also reduced by extensive fallowing and floods. Fungal activity levels can be determined by testing plant roots for the percentage of colonization

INSPIRE SEED STARTER

Earth Smart Solutions offers a natural seed starter called Inspire. 

Inspire is a liquid seed starter and root growth promoter formulated with macro and micro nutrients, amino acids, organic acids, root growth stimulants, enzymes, proteins, vitamins, minerals and beneficial microbes.

Inspire also contains constituents that stimulate indigenous microbes in the root zone and has proven to be a reliable performer in low and high rainfall areas and in all soil types except extreme calcareous soils.

To learn more about Inspire Seed Starter, please click here.

Please contact us at 1-866-444-7174 or via email at info@earth-smart-solutions.com if you have any questions or to order this product.

Note:  Photos compliments of Earth Smart Solution's Sales Reps: Aaron Schulz via Twitter at @AAronSchulz5 and Dave Norris via Twitter at @davenorris33