A seed treatment apparatus provides for minimal waste of products for treating seeds, in that it is precisely controllable and automatically adjustable. A volume of seeds to be treated and a flow rate of treatment product for treating the seeds can both be sensed. At least one of the flow rate of the treatment product and the volume of seeds can automatically be adjusted if it is determined that a ratio of the flow rate of treatment product to the volume of seeds is not the same as a predetermined flow rate to volume ratio.

A system for electronically pulsing agricultural product with seed. A seed transport mechanism is affixed to a seed planter row unit having a seed metering system, operating at a high speed configured to dispense seed. The seed transport mechanism includes a conduit for introducing agricultural product with seed. The agricultural product is configured to be introduced with the seed after output from the seed metering system. A seed sensing device is operably connected to the seed transport mechanism and configured to sense a dispensation of the seed from the seed transport mechanism. The agricultural product conduit is configured to dispense agricultural products into the seed transport mechanism to provide dispensing of the agricultural products with the seed as the seed and agricultural product exit the seed transport mechanism. The agricultural products comprise chemical granules. A control interface electronic system is operably connected to an agricultural product metering system and the agricultural product conduit, the control interface electronic system being configured to dispense a particular quantity of agricultural product with the seed in the seed transport mechanism. An electrical pulsing valve is operably coupled to the agricultural product conduit and the control interface electronic system, being configured to open to dispense chemical granule agricultural products from the agricultural product conduit when the seed sensing device senses the dispensation of the seed. The seed transport mechanism is configured to provide a seed release speed at which the seed and agricultural product exit the seed transport mechanism, the seed release speed being varied in a manner proportional to the variation in the ground speed of the seed planter row unit to minimize seed tumbling to optimize accurate placement of seed and chemical granule agricultural product at varying ground speeds of the seed planter row unit. In the various embodiments, the agricultural product is directed away from moving parts after the seed leaves the seed metering system of the seed planter row unit.

A paddy seed treatment agent containing a herbicidal active component and having a sufficient herbicidal effect, while having a reduced risk of herbicide injury to paddy rice, a method for treating paddy seeds using the paddy seed treatment agent, paddy seeds, and a method for controlling paddy field weeds by sowing and cultivating the paddy seeds, are provided. The paddy seed treatment agent contains fenquinotrione or a salt thereof as a herbicidal active component. The method for controlling paddy field weeds includes sowing and cultivating paddy seeds treated with this paddy seed treatment agent, and the like.

A paddy seed treatment agent containing a herbicidal active component and having a sufficient herbicidal effect, while having a reduced risk of herbicide injury to paddy rice, a method for treating paddy seeds using the paddy seed treatment agent, paddy seeds, and a method for controlling paddy field weeds by sowing and cultivating the paddy seeds, are provided. The paddy seed treatment agent contains fenquinotrione or a salt thereof as a herbicidal active component. The method for controlling paddy field weeds includes sowing and cultivating paddy seeds treated with this paddy seed treatment agent, and the like.

A device for coating seeds with a liquid dressing solution, including a housing delimiting a chamber for accommodating the seeds, a rotating system for mixing the seeds and the dressing solution, an air duct for feeding hot air into the chamber and a separating unit which is permeable to the hot air and separates the air duct from the chamber. According to this invention, the separating unit includes at least one perforated metal sheet that has an inner face facing towards the chamber, an outer face facing towards the air duct and a plurality of projections, wherein a projection rises obliquely in the direction of the outer face and forms an opening inlet, which is inclined to the metal sheet plane, on the outer face. This invention further relates to a method in which the device is used.

A first source of an electromagnetic signal is configured to illuminate or radiate the evaluation channel through which a series of particular seeds pass. For example, the electromagnetic signal comprises a pulse with at a primary reference phase and primary reference magnitude. A first receiver of the electromagnetic signal comprises a detector to determine or identify a first seed-related characteristic (e.g., first seed characteristic) based on an observed primary phase and an observed primary magnitude. For instance, a seed treatment device is configured to treat or spray discharged particular seed with a seed treatment based on the estimated characteristic, or to reject non-conforming seeds that do not meet seed specifications.

A first source of an electromagnetic signal is configured to illuminate or radiate the evaluation channel through which a series of particular seeds pass. For example, the electromagnetic signal comprises a pulse with at a primary reference phase and primary reference magnitude. A first receiver of the electromagnetic signal comprises a detector to determine or identify a first seed-related characteristic (e.g., first seed characteristic) based on an observed primary phase and an observed primary magnitude. For instance, a seed treatment device is configured to treat or spray discharged particular seed with a seed treatment based on the estimated characteristic, or to reject non-conforming seeds that do not meet seed specifications.

A system for electronically pulsing agricultural product with seed includes a seed transport mechanism affixed to a seed planter row unit. A seed sensing device senses dispensation of the seed from the seed transport mechanism. An agricultural product conduit dispenses agricultural products into the seed transport mechanism to provide dispensing of the products with the seed as the seed and product exit the seed transport mechanism. A control interface electronic system dispenses a particular quantity of product with the seed in the seed transport mechanism. A pulsing valve dispenses products from the conduit when the seed sensing device senses the dispensation of the seed. A seed release speed is provided which is proportional to the ground speed of the seed planter row unit to minimize seed tumbling and optimize accurate placement of seed and product at varying ground speeds of the row unit.

The invention provides a seed treatment method comprising: (i) mixing starting materials (7) comprising an aqueous liquid (2), anaerobic bacteria (1), a substrate (3) for the anaerobic bacteria, and seeds (4), to provide a mixture (10) having a void volume (15) between the seeds, wherein at least 50% of the void volume comprises the aqueous liquid, (ii) storing the mixture in a condition to prevent oxygen from entering the mixture during a treatment time, to provide treated seeds (9), wherein the treatment time is at least 6 hours and at maximum 14 days, and (iii) collecting the treated seeds (9) from the mixture (10).

The invention provides a seed treatment method comprising: (i) mixing starting materials (7) comprising an aqueous liquid (2), anaerobic bacteria (1), a substrate (3) for the anaerobic bacteria, and seeds (4), to provide a mixture (10) having a void volume (15) between the seeds, wherein at least 50% of the void volume comprises the aqueous liquid, (ii) storing the mixture in a condition to prevent oxygen from entering the mixture during a treatment time, to provide treated seeds (9), wherein the treatment time is at least 6 hours and at maximum 14 days, and (iii) collecting the treated seeds (9) from the mixture (10).