Patent ID: 7921598
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
1. A gel-coated seed comprising: a seed of a plant; and a coating layer disposed on the seed, said coating layer produced by (i) applying an alginic acid-based gel-forming solution containing grains of carboxymethylcellulose-based water-containing hydrophilic polymer dispersed therein to the seed, and (ii) gelling the alginic acid-based gel-forming solution in the presence of a gelling agent of a multivalent metal ion, so that the coating layer that is formed on the seed comprises the grains of the carboxymethylcellulose-based water-containing hydrophilic polymer distributed therein, wherein the concentration of the hydrophilic polymer in the gel-forming solution is between 0.2% by weight and 0.8% by weight whereby the resulting gel-coated seed has sufficient strength for handling and enhanced seedling survival both immediately after production thereof and after recovery following storage under drying.