Protection of Wheat Seed with Hardwood Tar Oil in a Dust Formulation 1

Abstract

Hardwood tar oil is a byproduct obtained in the manufacture of charcoal. Dusts impregnated with this oil have been used for more than a decade in some southern States to treat seeds before planting to repel birds after seeds are planted in the field. Also, treatment of seeds prior to storage was alleged to be of value in preventing rodent damage. Both kinds of vertebrate pests cause extensive damage which is diffcult to estimate accurately. Unfortunately, the apparent successful use of hardwood tar oil in practice has been based on “grower satisfaction” rather than on experimental data, so the future of this product for agricultural use may be uncertain. Yet, the potential for use of a natural product applied only once for protection of seeds against a wide range of agricultural pests offers interesting possibilities in developing a program for protection of seeds in storage and in the field after planting. This paper presents a summary of results obtained from laboratory tests made to determine effectiveness of hardwood tar oil in preventing 3 species of grain beetles from damaging wheat seed.