Restoration seeding is the most cost-effective pathway to restore degraded ecosystems with native plant species; however, global seed production resources are largely inadequate for current and projected restoration demands. Dryland seeding operations frequently suffer from low seedling emergence, resulting in greater than 90% seed waste. The greatest bottleneck to plant establishment may occur prior to seedling emergence, when ungerminated seeds and young seedlings are most susceptible to pathogen attack. Technologies that increase the effectiveness of sown seed may provide an alternative approach to meeting global seed demands and alleviate strains on these limited resources. Seed enhancements applied within a coating may provide land-managers with the necessary tools to overcome establishment bottlenecks. Fungicide seed coatings have been shown to protect seeds and seedlings against fungal pathogens in the agriculture industry for decades. We evaluated a fungicide seed coating that was formulated to protect seeds and seedlings from seed- and soil-borne pathogens. From 2018-2019 we evaluated seedling germination and emergence of sown Pseudoroegneria spicata seed coated with fungicide at six Artemisia tridentata sites across the Great Basin region of the western United States.
Results/Conclusions
Fungicide seed coating’s effect on germination and seedling emergence varied by year. In 2018, seed coated with fungicide had a 35% increase in germination and a 78% increase in seedling emergence over uncoated seed. In 2019, fungicide seed coatings had a negligible effect on germination, but seedling emergence of fungicide coated seed was 32% higher than untreated seed. It is probable that improved seeding success from a fungicide seed coating could lessen the demand for native seed by lowering the amount of seed that is needed to complete restoration projects. Furthermore, indirect benefits may also be realized through this technology by maintaining functioning ecosystems and landscapes that support both anthropogenic needs and a diversity of wildlife habitats.