Seeding Rate Calculator

Establishing a crop with high yield potential and quality requires sowing seed at ideal rates. Use the calculator below to determine appropriate seeding rates based on various agronomic and seed quality factors. 

Resources

For more information regarding seeding best management practices, see links below:

Seeding Rate Calculator

Desired seeding rate: Indicates the number of seeds sown (seeds/ft2).

Target plant stand: The desired target number of plants per ft2. This number indicates the number of plants that are expected to survive and contribute to yield.

* Required
  • Spring Wheat (CPSR, CWRS, CWSWS, CWSP, and CNHR): 25-40 seeds/ft2
  • Barley (malt and feed): 20-40 seeds/ft2
  • Winter Wheat: 45 seeds/ft2
  • Durum: 28-40 seeds/ft2
  • Barley Silage: 30-45 seeds/ft2
  • Solid-Stemmed Wheat (not durum): 30 seeds/ft2

Not every seed sown will result in a viable plant. Emergence mortality must be factored into desired seeding rates. Emergence mortality of 10% is often seen in cereal crops. It’s important to note that this new calculator differs from other seeding rate calculators. Therefore, emergence mortality is not included in the calculation. The desired seeding rate indicates the number of seeds sown. Farmers should use desired seeding rates that account for expected emergence mortality.

* Required

Target plant stand: The desired target number of plants per ft2. This number indicates the number of plants that are expected to survive and contribute to yield.

* Required

Good quality seed will have a germination rate of 90-99%. It is recommended that all seed lots intended for planting should be tested at an accredited lab. Click here to learn more.

* Required

Emergence mortality has a wide range, up to 50% according to research.

Emergence mortality is the percentage of seeds that do not develop into live plants in the field due to biotic and/or abiotic stress factors and therefore do not contribute to yield. Emergence mortality is ideally assessed at 21-28 days after planting, and is separate from the germination percentage found on your seed test results. Emergence mortality can change year to year and field to field due to seeding practices as well as field and environmental conditions. Farmers and agronomists should be aware of emergence mortality due to the various impacts it can have on yield, quality, and seeding management considerations. See here to learn more about assessing your emergence mortality: Click here to learn more about assessing your emergence mortality.

When using this seeding calculator, we recommend using your farm's average emergence mortality to determine seeding rates to achieve specific plant stands. The emergence mortality value can be changed when spring seeding conditions are clearer to ensure accurate seeding rates for target plant stands.

* Required

Typical TKW ranges:

  • Barley: 40-55 g/1000 seeds
  • Spring Wheat: 35-45 g/1000 seeds
  • Winter wheat: 30-40 g/1000 seeds
  • Durum: 40-50 g/1000 seeds

Please remember it is very important to use the TKW of the seed lot you intend to plant. This can be obtained from your seed grower or an accredited lab.

Note: The field below is not required unless you are looking to calibrate your seeder.

Note: The fields below are not required unless you are looking to calculate the seed cost.

Target plant stand (plants/ft2)

Target seeding rate (seeds/ft2)

Seeding rate (lbs/ac)

lbs seed/acre to obtain seeds/ft2

Your seeder must be calibrated so each opener drops

This is equivalent to

The total amount of seed required is

lbs

The cost of the seed will be

Note: That the number of sown seeds that germinate, emerge and survive to become an established crop can be impacted by a number of factors such as soil crusting, poor vigour, poor seed/soil contact, biotic/abiotic stresses, etc.