Preparation and Study of a Novel, Environmentally Friendly Seed-Coating Agent for Wheat.

Traditional seed-coating agents are widespread and used in crop protection. However, the coatings can pose an environmental and health hazard. In this study, a novel wheat seed-coating agent was prepared by using natural polysaccharide as the main raw material, which produces bacteriostatic activity and enhances the germination and quality of seeds. The optimum formula of this seed-coating agent was ultimately determined through a series of laboratory experiments and field trials. The results showed that the yield of wheat seeds treated with this novel seed-coating agent was increased by 10% and its material cost was decreased by 15% compared with the conventional toxic seed-coating agent. The toxicity of the novel seed-coating agent was also less than that of the traditional one. Therefore, this wheat seed-coating agent had obvious economic and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]