Challenges in organic forage seed production

Summary

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. The demand for organically produced forage seed is increasing rapidly as organic livestock farming expands. EU regulations stipulate that from 1 January 2004 organically produced seed must be used in organic production systems. The production of forage seed in an organically acceptable manner to meet the current Seed Certification standards is a significant challenge to the seed producer. Conventional systems of grass seed production use inorganic nitrogen applied at specific stages of crop development and appropriate use of herbicides to produce high quality seed, reduce weed content and minimise seed cleaning costs. The development of organically acceptable methods of weed control and techniques of applying nitrogen at precise stages of crop development are the most important challenges for the organic grass seed producer. Current research on organic seed production of forage grasses is outlined.