Patent ID: 7182951

Claim:
A method of (A) testing a seed lot in which the seeds are fungicide-treated seeds, the test method comprising (1) withdrawing a representative sample of seeds from the seed lot; (2) placing the seeds of the representative sample at a depth of 1 to 1.5 inch in soil which has a moisture content of M %, where M is 21 to 25 and is substantially constant; (3) maintaining the soil and the seeds therein at a temperature of 3 to 7° C. for 19 to 24 days; (4) immediately after step (3), maintaining the soil and the seeds therein at a temperature of 20 to 25° C., while maintaining the moisture content of the soil at L %, where L is the same as M; and (5) determining that the percentage of the seeds which have developed into seedlings on the day on which a maximum number of seedlings can be observed is at least 75%; and (B) forming a continuous polymeric coating on the remaining seeds in the seed lot, the continuous polymeric coating comprising (1) a polymeric component which comprises (a) at least one side chain crystalline (SCC) polymer which has a peak melting temperature T p of 0 to 40° C., an onset of melting temperature T o such that (T p −T o ) is less than 10° C., and a heat of fusion of at least 5 J/g, and (b) at least one amorphous polymer having a T g of at least 20° C.; and (2) a fungicidal component comprising (a) a contact fungicide, and (b) a systemic fungicide.