Production of certified seed material and its impact on cereal yielding in the Mazovia Province

Józef Starczewski

iro@uph.edu.pl
Katedra Ogólnej Uprawy Roli i Roślin, Akademia Podlaska, Siedlce (Poland)

Magdalena Toczyska

Katedra Ogólnej Uprawy Roli i Roślin, Akademia Podlaska, Siedlce (Poland)

Grażyna Wielogórska

Katedra Ogólnej Uprawy Roli i Roślin, Akademia Podlaska, Siedlce (Poland)

Elżbieta Turska

Katedra Ogólnej Uprawy Roli i Roślin, Akademia Podlaska, Siedlce (Poland)

Abstract

The work’s objective was to evaluate certified seed material and its impact on cereal yielding under production conditions of the Mazovia Province, as well as present changes in certified seed production in the aforementioned region. In order to achieve the aim a survey was carried out among farmers in the year 2006. The study focused on farms characterized by various production directions, with an area of at least 5 ha and owned by farmers whose sole occupation was farming. The farms were decided by a draw. In the work, yielding of individual cereals grown in the examined region was analyzed. Moreover, an influence of certified seed material on yielding of cereals was found at the scale of the whole country and the Mazovia Province. Certified seed production was characterized using data of the Main Statistical Office as well as Province Inspectorate for Plant Health and Seed Inspection from the years 2003-2006. The area of cultivation of cereals for seed in Poland and in the Mazovia Province has been consistently decreasing over the last years. Field classification carried out in the years 2003-2006 showed a 30-percent decrease in the area of land under seed cereal crops. There has been observed the highest slump in production of winter rye seed (50% for Poland, and 62% for the Mazovia Province). In the Mazovia Province certified seed material was applied by 18.6% and 97.4% producers of basic cereals and maize, respectively. Seeding certified seed material increased cereal grain yields. The highest increase was recorded for spring wheat (26%), spring triticale (16%) and winter barley (17%) when compared with average yields produced on farms where no certified seed was used.

Keywords:

certified seed material, field classification, laboratory assessment, cereals, yielding