How is it..............????

**Strut10** · 05-28-2006, 10:18 PM

..........that archaeologists have found wheat and oats in 4000 year old Egyptian ruins and they got them to grow?? But when we used 4 or 5 year old bin oats to oversow a clover patch for cover...........we got nothing???

I'm at a loss.

**Tominator** · 05-29-2006, 03:56 PM

Egyptians have an awesome innoculant recipe Don.

Don't know. I swear foxtail seed stays viable for years and years and years...........

**Strut10** · 05-29-2006, 09:26 PM

Well.......hopefully the foxtail got a good burn with the Roundup last fall. I'm sure we didn't get it all. Just really wanted a cover crop to get the clover up and going without getting eaten. Hopefully it'll take off and grow all by its lonesome.

**wtnhunt** · 05-30-2006, 06:35 AM

That is pretty interesting. Hard to believe that after that amount of time the seed would not be dust.

**LETMGROW** · 06-01-2006, 08:31 PM

Ya know Strut, I'd bet when they tried to grow those seeds they had the best conditions a labroratory could afford. Probably not having been exposed to direct sunlight also made a difference also.
I'd look for fresh seed. 4000 year old seed is really hard to find and probably kind of pricey.

anderson3 · 06-02-2006, 10:32 AM

Lots of reasons why some seed stays viable and others don't. Usually germination % decreases over time. Those darned weed seeds can remain viable for many years. Probably a necessary evolution for survival. Domestic crops have been selected for other traits.

I did get a decent catch of oats this spring in a woodland plot with seed that was at least 3 years old. That was a surprise. Here in PA, seed for sale must be re-tested for germination % every 9 months. You will see the germination rate and date on the label. Look at both before you buy.