Agriculture and Forestry

It is alwayas important to start with good quality seed. Examine seed lots carefully before purchasing or when using stored seed. A seed laboratory can conduct standard seed quality tests at a low cost. Seed lots with low test weights, low germination rates or discolored kernels often produce less vigorous plants, even when this seed is treated. Find the best quality seed here!

Seed treatments promote seedling establishment, help ensure yield and reduce quality losses due too mnay diseases and insects. The ability of seed treatments to control many fungal diseases has made them one of the biggest success stories of plant disease prevention. For instance, seed-borne smuts historically caused tremendous yield and quality reduction in grain-growing regions worldwide. Use of effective seed treatment has reduced the severity of many smuts to the point that their occurence is now rare.

The first powered farm implements in the early 1800s were portable engines – steam engines on wheels that could be used to drive mechanical farm machinery by way of a flexible belt. Around 1850, the first traction engines were developed from these, and were widely adopted for agricultural use. Where soil conditions permitted, like the US, steam tractors were used to direct-haul ploughs, but in the UK, ploughing engines were used for cable-hauled ploughing instead. Steam-powered agricultural engines remained in use well into the 20th century, until reliable internal combustion engines had been developed. Need more information about farm supplies and equipment? Find here for details.