Facts2

Facts II

2014 – 18

Seedball Technology Fact Sheet 2019

Laboratory results on the mechanisms behind seeball success

Laboratory and greenhouse trials showed that in low fertility sandy soils nutrient amended seedballs lead to better root development (density and distribution) and higher nutrient uptake particularly in the first two weeks after sowing. Then the nutrients provided by the seedballs are exhausted and additional fertilisation needs to take place.

The standard seedball recipe

Gravimetric mixture = 50g loam + 80g sand + 2.3g seeds + 25ml water

Nutrient additives to this mixture = either 3g wood ash or 1g NPK fertilizer Important note: Higher nutrient additive rates will lead to low germination due to osmotic pressure effects!

The optimum seedball contains about 25 seeds and has a diameter of 2cm.

Important notes for application

1. Seedballs should be sown at a depth of 3cm, that is less than with conventional sowing.

2. Seedballs germinate with about 15mm of rainfall and should not be sown after lower rainfall events.

3. Microdose fertilization should be placed in several centimetre distance to the seedballs.

4. Fungicide treatment of the incorporated seeds is an option, but application rate needs to be tested.

5. Traditional varieties can be used for seedball confection.

6. In wind-erosion-prone areas, the lower plant number per pocket can pose a risk. Under such conditions the seedball technology should be complemented e.g. by partial weeding.

On-farm results
Table 1: On-farm panicle yield difference of the seedball technology compared to conventional farmers’ sowing practice in the Maradi region of Niger 2016 given in %

These results were confirmed in about 2000 pearl millet on-farm tests in 2017 and 2018.

SMIL-UH

SMIL-UH

Facts II

Seedball Technology Fact Sheet 2019

The standard seedball recipe

Important notes for application