Pre-harvest and farm-saved seed

Can pre-harvest glyphosate be used on the crop that is intended to be used as farm-saved seed?

In short, this practice is best to be avoided. There are no market or label concerns with applying pre-harvest glyphosate on wheat or barley crops destined for farm-saved seed (assuming the glyphosate is being applied at the correct label rate and crop stage). However, there is a risk that pre-harvest glyphosate applications on wheat or barley will impact germination of that seed. If a wheat or barley crop is being harvested as farm-saved seed, avoid spraying that crop with pre-harvest glyphosate.

When using farm-saved seed, it is recommended that producers test seed quality in the fall and in the spring. Fall testing will help decisions on whether to use the seed the following year. Spring testing will determine if the seed quality has been maintained through storage. Producers are recommended to test for germination, vigor, thousand kernel weight, as well as a fungal screen

For information on fungal screen results of cereals, please click here.