Not to be confused with
Sewing
.
Planting of seeds or other propagules in the ground for germination
Sowing
is the process of planting seeds. An area or object that has had seeds planted in it will be described as a
sowed
or
sown
area.
Plants which are usually sown
[
edit
]
Among the major field crops,
oats
,
wheat
, and
rye
are sown, grasses and legumes are seeded and
maize
and
soybeans
are planted. In planting, wider rows (generally 75 cm (30 in) or more) are used, and the intent is to have precise; even spacing between individual seeds in the row, various mechanisms have been devised to count out individual seeds at exact intervals.
Depth of sowing
[
edit
]
In sowing, little if any soil is placed over the seeds, as seeds can be generally sown into the soil by maintaining a planting depth of about 2-3 times the size of the seed.
Sowing types and patterns
[
edit
]
For hand sowing, several sowing types exist; these include:
[1]
- Flat sowing
- Ridge sowing
- Wide bed sowing
Several patterns for sowing may be used together with these types; these include:
- Rows that are indented at the even rows (so that the seeds are
- Symmetrical grid pattern ? using the pattern described in
The Garden of Cyrus
placed in a crossed pattern). This method is much better, as more light may fall on the seedlings as they come out.
Types of sowing
[
edit
]
Hand sowing
[
edit
]
Hand sowing
or (planting) is the process of casting handfuls of seed over prepared ground, or broadcasting (from which the
technological term
is derived
[
citation needed
]
). Usually, a drag or
harrow
is employed to incorporate the seed into the soil. Though
labor-intensive
for any but small areas, this method is still used in some situations. Practice is required to sow evenly and at the desired rate. A hand seeder can be used for sowing, though it is less of a help than it is for the smaller seeds of
grasses
and
legumes
.
Hand sowing may be combined with pre-sowing in
seed trays
. This allows the plants to come to strength indoors during cold periods (e.g. spring in temperate countries).
Seed drill
[
edit
]
In
agriculture
, most seed is now sown using a
seed drill
, which offers greater precision; seed is sown evenly and at the desired rate. The drill also places the seed at a measured distance below the soil, so that less seed is required. The standard design uses a fluted feed metering system, which is volumetric in nature; individual seeds are not counted. Rows are typically about 10?30 cm apart, depending on the
crop
species and growing conditions. Several row opener types are used depending on
soil type
and local tradition. Grain drills are most often drawn by
tractors
, but can also be pulled by
horses
.
Pickup trucks
are sometimes used, since little draft is required.
A seed rate of about 100 kg of seed per hectare (2 bushels per acre) is typical, though rates vary considerably depending on crop species, soil conditions, and farmer's preference. Excessive rates can cause the crop to lodge, while too thin a rate will result in poor utilisation of the land, competition with
weeds
and a reduction in the
yield
.
Open field
[
edit
]
Open-field planting
refers to the form of sowing used historically in the agricultural context whereby
fields
are prepared generically and left open, as the name suggests, before being sown directly with seed. The seed is frequently left uncovered at the surface of the soil before germinating and therefore exposed to the prevailing
climate
and conditions like storms etc. This is in contrast to the
seedbed
method used more commonly in domestic
gardening
or more specific (modern) agricultural scenarios where the seed is applied beneath the soil surface and monitored and manually tended frequently to ensure more successful growth rates and better yields.
Pre-treatment of seed and soil before sowing
[
edit
]
Before sowing, certain seeds first require a treatment prior to the sowing process.
This treatment may be seed
scarification
,
stratification
,
seed soaking
or seed cleaning with cold (or medium hot) water.
Seed soaking is generally done by placing seeds in medium hot water for at least 24 to up to 48 hours
[2]
Seed cleaning is done especially with fruit, as the flesh of the fruit around the seed can quickly become prone to attack from insects or plagues.
[3]
Seed washing is generally done by submerging cleansed seeds 20 minutes in 50
degree Celsius
water.
[4]
This (rather hot than moderately hot) water kills any organisms that may have survived on the skin of a seed. Especially with easily infected
tropical fruit
such as
lychees
and
rambutans
, seed washing with high-temperature water is vital.
In addition to the mentioned seed pretreatments,
seed germination
is also assisted when a disease-free soil is used. Especially when trying to germinate difficult seed (e.g. certain tropical fruit), prior treatment of the soil (along with the usage of the most suitable soil; e.g.
potting soil
, prepared soil or other
substrates
) is vital. The two most used soil treatments are
pasteurisation
and
sterilisation
. Depending on the necessity, pasteurisation is to be preferred as this does not kill all organisms. Sterilisation can be done when trying to grow truly difficult crops. To pasteurise the soil, the soil is heated for 15 minutes in an oven of 120 °C.
[4]
See also
[
edit
]
Look up
sowing
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
References
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Sowing
.