RATES OF EMERGENCE are greatly improved when sprinkler irrigation is used for lettuce germination in desert areas. Precision planting plus the possihilities for automatic thinners have offered growers hope for reducing labor requirements. To facilitate precision placrment, various seed coatings and planting machines have been developed. This report compares emergence and growth rate of plants developing from seed encapsulated in pressed vermiculite tablets, clay-coated seed (10-1 minicoated). and non-coated seed (see photos).

The seed encapsulated in pressed vermiculite tablets was developed by FMC Corporation; and the clay-coated seed was prepared by Filcoat Division, Germain's Inc.