What is seed coating quality control testing?

• A. Observing coating quality during storage.
• B. Observing coverage visually, measuring residue, or sampling to estimate the percentage of seeds adequately coated.
• C. Measuring germination rate before planting.
• D. Recording the weight of treated seed lots.

Answer: (B)

Quality control testing for seed coating is about checking how well the coating has been applied to the seeds. The best approach is to directly assess the coating on the seeds themselves: visually check the coverage to see whether the coating appears to cover the seeds uniformly, measure the amount of coating residue left on the seeds, and sample seeds to estimate what percentage are adequately coated. These steps give a practical read on application quality and uniformity, which is exactly what you want to verify in coating quality control.

Observing coating quality during storage doesn’t directly measure how well the coating was applied in the first place and can miss issues that appeared during the application process. Measuring germination rate before planting looks at seed viability, not how the coating performed. Recording the weight of treated seed lots might indicate how much product was used, but it doesn’t tell you whether the coating is evenly distributed or if every seed has the intended coverage.