Lucerne seed of the leading cold-tolerant variety Timbale, pre-inoculated and coated for enhanced establishment, is available in the UK from Germinal Seeds for 2014 drilling.

Improved development of roots and foliage is seen in the lucerne seedlings on the right as a result of Precidose seed treatment

Timbale is a high-ranking variety that has been bred for northern European climates and has a winter dormancy rating (4.4) indicating its suitability for the UK. Seed available from Germinal Seeds distributors is pre-inoculated with Rhizobia meliloti bacteria to ensure successful root nodulation and quick onset of nitrogen fixing.

Alongside pre-inoculation, the Timbale seed is coated with multiple permeable layers that provide nutrients and create seed uniformity to allow greater accuracy when drilling.

Lucerne bred for UK conditions is available from Germinal Seeds with a new seed treatment that aids establishment

“This system of seed treatment and coating has been developed in France and is called Precidose,” explains Germinal Seeds agriculture director Paul Billings. “Seed is supplied in packs suitable for a standard drilling area (two packs per hectare) as opposed to farmers calculating seed rates from thousand grain weights and possibly inoculating seed themselves. It’s a simpler method of achieving optimum seed rates and, with the additional nutrients and pre-inoculation, gives the crop a head start and removes a lot of the potential risks.

“Seeds treated with the Precidose system will exhibit significantly greater early vigour and improved root and foliar establishment. In trials, comparing Timbale as untreated seed with Timbale in Precidose form, the system has been shown to increase plant establishment by 14% and increase lucerne dry matter yield by 6% at first cut.”