Current status and prospects of seed pelleting research in China

Seeds are the “chips” of agriculture, which plays an important role in agricultural modernization. Pelleting is a novel seed treatment technology that meets the requirements of precision sowing. Covering seeds with fillers, binders, nutrients, protectants, phytoactive promoters, and colors modifies seed shape and size, protects seeds from birds and bugs, and enhances seed germination and seedling growth. Seed germination and seedling establishment are the most vulnerable stages of the crop production cycle. Utilizing seed-pelleting technology to promote seed germination and seedling growth is important for increasing crop yields. This paper provides an overview of the development process of seed pelleting technology, theory, processing procedures, and quality inspection standards involved in seed pelleting. This article also summarizes the application characteristics of pelleting technology in various crops, such as vegetables and flowers, grains and commercial crops, forage and green manure, medicinal crops, and forestry, and highlights the research focus and challenges specific to each crop type. Based on this discussion, future research priorities are proposed. First, it is necessary to strengthen interdisciplinary communication and collaboration and use high-tech technologies, such as genomics and metabolomics, to enrich research on the signaling pathways of seed dormancy and germination, the extraction of signal molecules, and the environmental threshold of pelleted seed germination. Second, research should focus on the development of special materials and specific pelleting technology, improvement of the quality inspection standards of pelleting seeds, and evaluation of the long-term impact of seed pelleting on the environment, with the aim of providing theoretical support for the rapid development of seed treatment technology in China.