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Key #3 - Seed Placement The seeding equipment should provide proper seed depth, uniform seeding rate, and good seed to soil contact. Grass seed can be broadly categorized into three types; fluffy or chaffy, smooth small seed, and smooth large seed. Grass drills are equipped with separate boxes to properly place and meter each of the three seed types. Picker wheels and agitators in the fluffy /chaffy box and oversized feeder tubes keep rough coated seed flowing evenly. Depth bands on grass drills are essential for planting depth control. Press /packer wheels contribute to close seed/soil contact. Free flowing grass seed (e.g. wheatgrass) can be successfully planted with a small grain drill if proper, shallow, and consistent seeding depth is maintained. Drills should be calibrated to monitor seeding rate. Seeding rate can be determined by counting dropped seeds after traveling a given distance on a hard surface, collecting seed from openers after traveling a given distance, or turning the drive wheel on the drill and collecting seed from openers. Contact the local NRCS office for additional information. picker wheel agitators TV, press /packer wheel Key #4 - Seed Quality All seed must meet the requirement of the States' seed laws. The seed should be tested for purity and germination. Purity specifies any weeds and inert matter in the seed lot. Germination is an indication of the percentage of seed that will sprout and grow. Seed is usually purchased and planted on a Pure Live Seed (PLS) basis. This is calculated by multiplying purity by germination (including dormant). A high PLS usually indicates high quality seed. Seed of adapted species and recommended cultivars within the species should be planted. It is best to select cultivars whose origin is closest to the planting site when seeding warm -season grasses. Cool- season species are more broadly adapted. Your local NRCS office can provide information on adapted species, varieties, and seeding rates. Seed with awns or other appendages is called "fluffy" or bearded. Debearded seed has part or all of the appendages removed and is more flowable. Flowability depends on degree of debearding. Key #5 - Weed Control Weeds compete for moisture and light with young seedlings. Competitive weeds can be controlled mechanically by clipping or chemically. Dense residue clippings should be removed from the seeded area. Weeds should be controlled with herbicides before they reach 4 inches tall. The two main reasons grass seedings fail are planting too deep and lack of weed control. For more information, contact: USDA -NRCS Plant Materials Center 3308 University Drive Bismarck, ND 58504 Phone: (701) 250 -4330 Fax: (701) 250 -4334 http: / /Plant - Materials.nres.usda -gov "The U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis ofrace, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication ofprogram information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720 -2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, ice of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S. W., Washington, D. C. 20250 -9410 or call (800) 795 -3272 (voice) or (202) 720 -6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. " revised July 2010