The seed industry can contribute to crop output growth. Physiologically superior seed is always in demand among farmers for its benefits. For every crop, the time between harvest and sowing and seedling establishment is critical, as seeds get exposed to various environmental challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses, which can alter the qualitative characteristics of seeds. Appropriate application of crop-specific physical, physiological, chemical, and biological agents may offer an attractive alternative for creating sustainable good crop establishment, growth, and yield. Equipment with a large and open area for seed and coating materials is necessary when seed coating get performed on a large scale.
Seed treatments are a crop-specific, objective-driven strategy that promotes uniform and vigorous crop development and protects from various biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. Locally and commercially, several seed treatments, like priming, pelleting, and coating, are used to significantly improve seed quality, with the ultimate goal of enhancing productivity in ideal and stressful settings. Among these seed treatments, seed coating offers the opportunity to encapsulate substantial quantities of ingredients to influence the microenvironment of each seed to increase seed quality and health by protecting against various soil, air, and seed-borne diseases.
Coating seeds with chemicals that promote plant growth is a method for enhancing seed quality. The origins of seed coating can get traced back to those who performed a wide variety of seed treatments, the goals of which included protection against various insect pests, fungal strains, rhizobia, provision of plant substances (nutrients) in the sorption zone of roots, provision of substances with higher water holding capacity, supply of growth promoting and regulating substances, supply of germination stimulant, and supply of importance with the ability to provide osmotic balance.
Different coating chemicals and processes for enhancing seed quality and achieving better yields are becoming evident.
In many industrialized and developing nations, seed coating technology has been utilized for many years as a more cost-effective choice. Most horticultural and pasture seeds still get sown without any pre-sowing treatment. In the scientific literature, information addressing the chemical and mechanical elements of seed coating restricts, and particular application technologies and materials get disclosed. Patent literature has limited information regarding seed coating mechanisms. Creating seed-coating formulations that are widely applicable and universally acknowledged requires significant work and prior knowledge of the relevant literature.
The coating performance depends on coated equipment, permits uniform seed rotation in the coating pan, and special binder and powder attachment to seeds. Determining the possible significance of seed coating chemicals in enhancing seed quality has made tremendous strides over the past decade. The effectiveness of seed coating equipment depends on attaching a predetermined material to a single seed with minimal seed damage throughout the entire process. The width of seed coating equipment, rotator speed, spinner, coating agent particles, porosity, water holding capacity, and cementing qualities affect the coating procedure and the quality of coated output.
Coating seeds with the proper proportions of macro- and micronutrients will not only aid in lowering nutrient losses by delivering nutrients in the sorption zone but also reduce weed competition. Losses of nutrients via seed coating decreased significantly, combined with diminished production expenses. Nutritional requirements are crucial during the early stages of a plant's life cycle. The amount of nutrients required chiefly relies on the size of the seeds, as smaller seeds require a smaller amount of nutrients than larger seeds. Due to their toxicity, macronutrient coatings can inhibit germination and seedling growth.
Future development of sound concepts and techniques to construct a model of seed coats and their interactions will necessitate a more intentional effort to address the complexity of seed coating research. The seed coating technique has a lengthy history of enhancing seed quality. Chemical and mechanical engineers, chemists, agronomists, soil scientists, and microbiologists could collaborate to eliminate risks and difficulties associated with seeds, ultimately enhancing seed quality. Understanding the behavior and performance of coating agents is essential for developing principles and protocols for seed coatings, so it is vital to have access to basic knowledge.
