Kws Seed Rate Calculator

Optimize your plant population for maximum yield potential.

Standard for sugar beet is approx. 100,000; Maize varies 75,000 – 110,000.

Find this on your KWS seed certificate.

Estimated loss due to pests, soil conditions, or weather.

Calculation Results

Required Seed Rate:

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seeds per hectare

Intra-row Seed Spacing:

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centimeters (cm)

Total Seeds Required:

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Total for specified area

Units Required (50k/unit):

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Understanding KWS Seed Rate Optimization

Calculating the precise seed rate for KWS varieties—whether it's sugar beet, maize, or cereals—is the foundation of a successful harvest. A correct seed rate ensures that you achieve the optimal plant population per hectare, which directly correlates with light interception, nutrient utilization, and ultimately, your financial return.

The Scientific Formula

Our calculator uses the standard agronomic formula for seed requirements:

Seed Rate (seeds/ha) = Target Plant Population / ((Germination % / 100) * (Field Establishment % / 100))

Key Factors to Consider

• Target Density: This varies by crop and region. For KWS sugar beet, the goal is often to have 100,000 plants/ha at harvest.
• Germination Rate: KWS seeds are rigorously tested. Check your blue label or seed certificate for the exact percentage.
• Field Loss: This accounts for seeds that fail to emerge due to soil capping, cold temperatures, bird damage, or pests.
• Row Spacing: Adjusting your drill's row spacing requires a corresponding change in the distance between seeds within the row to maintain the population.

Example Calculation

If you aim for 100,000 plants/ha with a KWS variety having 98% germination and you estimate a 5% field loss on a 10-hectare field with 45cm row spacing:

1. Establishment Rate: 0.98 (Germination) * 0.95 (Survival) = 0.931 (93.1%).
2. Seed Rate: 100,000 / 0.931 = 107,411 seeds/ha.
3. Spacing: With 45cm rows, the seed spacing should be approximately 20.7 cm.
4. Total: You would need roughly 1,074,110 seeds total (approx. 21.5 units of 50,000).

function calculateKWSSeedRate() { var target = parseFloat(document.getElementById('targetDensity').value); var germ = parseFloat(document.getElementById('germination').value); var loss = parseFloat(document.getElementById('fieldLoss').value); var row = parseFloat(document.getElementById('rowSpacing').value); var area = parseFloat(document.getElementById('fieldArea').value); if (isNaN(target) || isNaN(germ) || isNaN(loss) || isNaN(row) || isNaN(area) || germ <= 0 || target <= 0) { alert("Please enter valid positive numbers in all fields."); return; } // Calculation Logic // Step 1: Calculate Establishment decimal var establishment = (germ / 100) * ((100 – loss) / 100); // Step 2: Calculate seeds per hectare var seedRateHa = target / establishment; // Step 3: Calculate Total Seeds var totalSeeds = seedRateHa * area; // Step 4: Calculate intra-row spacing (cm) // 10,000 sq meters in 1 hectare. // Running meters of row per ha = 10,000 / (row spacing in meters) var runningMeters = 10000 / (row / 100); var spacingCm = (runningMeters / seedRateHa) * 100; // Step 5: Units (standard KWS units are 50,000 seeds) var units = totalSeeds / 50000; // Display Results document.getElementById('seedRateResult').innerHTML = Math.round(seedRateHa).toLocaleString(); document.getElementById('spacingResult').innerHTML = spacingCm.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('totalSeedsResult').innerHTML = Math.round(totalSeeds).toLocaleString(); document.getElementById('unitsResult').innerHTML = units.toFixed(2) + " Units"; // Highlight the results panel document.getElementById('results-panel').style.borderColor = '#e1001a'; } // Initialize calculation on load window.onload = function() { calculateKWSSeedRate(); };