Treating wheat seed with vinegar against common bunt (Liveseed Practice abstract)

Summary

Practical recommendations
• For 100 kg seed, approx. 1,7 l of vinegar (4%) (If the concentration is more then 4%, dilute with cold water to reach 4%. According to practical experience, 1,7 l of liquid for 100 kg of seed is usually enough to treat all seeds without wetting them too much, but you may need to adjust according to seed humidity.)
• On-farm, you can use a cement drum to treat seed batches. For small seed quantities (e.g. in collections), you can simply use a hand-sprayer for treating, while shaking the seeds in a small container.
• Avoid using high concentrations: beyond 5% acetic acid, germination rates are reduced in some experiments.
• Dry quickly and thoroughly the seeds after treating to preserve seed quality.
• If the treated seed is actively dried after treatment (e.g. by a hot airstream), let the vinegar work on the seed for approximately a minute before drying.
• Make sure that the entire seed surface is covered! It is crucial that the application is as uniform as possible, as fast as possible, to avoid the acetic acid from evaporating and the seed from imbibing too much liquid.