Growing Food: A Guide to Food Production

• Fungicides—as a last resort these can be used, as a preventative measure as well as
  a cure.


• Seed dressing—this use of chemicals, both fungicide and insecticide, can be a very
  valuable and appropriate method of protecting the seedling and plant. However

Treated or Untreated Seed—to Treat or not to Treat?
There is always the possibility that a proportion of the seed that has been treated with
chemicals will not be planted but will be eaten, by people or by birds or animals.
Seed that is distributed in refugee or rehabilitation programmes is often sold locally,
and may then be eaten if the danger of the seed treatment has not been understood. So it
is important to carefully consider whether seed should be treated or untreated before it is
distributed. The advantages and disadvantages are summarised in the table below:

Treated Seed Untreated Seed

A d v a n t a g e s

• Improved yields due to better
  disease and pest control, and


• Recipients of the seed are
  encouraged to plant the seed


• Pesticide is only on the seed, not


• 
  


• Better root structure, leading to
  
  
  • Can be safely eaten - not
  
  
  • Can be used as a substitute for a
    food distribution if unsuitable
    as seed (low germination,
    inappropriate crop or variety,
    delivered too late etc.)
  
  
  • 
    
  
  
  
  

D i s a d v a n t a g e s

• 
  


• Health hazard to all involved
  during transport and
  distribution due to inhaling


• Trucks may need special
  cleaning before being used


• Possible delays in delivery time.


• 
  


• Increases selection pressure on
  
  
  • Loss of yield due to
    (controllable) diseases and
  
  
  • The seed is more likely to be
  
  
  
  

The topic of seed dressing/treatment is also discussed in 1Ff , page 57.

sprayed on the whole field

83

great care should be taken to ensure that treated (“dressed”) seed is not eaten

by people or animals.

therefore healthier plants.

and not to eat it.

Less seed/area is needed.

better canopy development.

necessarily an advantage.

Lower purchase price.

chemical dust.

again to transport food etc.

Higher purchase price.

resistant varieties.

pests.

eaten and not planted.

GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK

Health hazard if seed is eaten.