Poor seed soil contact describes situations where air around the sown seed prevents it from absorbing moisture from the soil. This is most often a problem in marginally wet seed beds.
What to look for
Paddock
Uneven germination and stunted plants that often occur along drill rows or specific soil types.
Plant
Smaller or stunted plants.
Plants may have smaller root systems and be dying back from the older leaf.
Where did it come from?
Poor seed soil contact from insufficient soil compaction or poor coverage of the seed in the seeding slot.
Air around the sown seed prevents it from absorbing moisture from the soil.
Seed sown on the soil surface.
'Hairpinning', where straw is pinned in the seeding slot, leaving air voids and increasing the risk of silly seedling.
Management strategies
To ensure sufficient seed soil contact it is important the sowing machinery is designed to seed at a uniform depth and provides uniform soil cover.
Systems such as harrows and prickle chains are subject to variations in the soil surface.
