Pure Live Seed Order Cost Calculator

How the pure live seed order cost calculator works

Pure live seed (PLS) fraction = purity percentage ÷ 100 × effective germination percentage ÷ 100. Both percentages must be positive and at most 100. For applicable seed tests, effective germination may include permitted hard or dormant fractions; use the appropriate tested combined value without exceeding 100%.

Target PLS kilograms = acres × your entered PLS kilograms per acre. Bulk seed required = target PLS kilograms ÷ PLS fraction. Whole bags = ceil(bulk required kilograms ÷ bag kilograms). The purchased PLS mass equals whole bags × bulk bag kilograms × PLS fraction.

Purchased seed cost = whole bags × quote per bag, rounded half-up to cents. Cost per acre divides that rounded cost by acres, then rounds to cents. Zero acres or zero PLS mass target requires no bags or seed cost; cost per acre is undefined at zero acres.

The tool adjusts a mass-based purchasing target for seed-lot quality. It does not choose a species, prescribe a seeding rate, convert plant count to mass, add establishment losses or predict emergence, stand or yield. Application, treatment, delivery and taxes are excluded. NRCS supplies the PLS seed-quality relationship and test context.

Worked example

25 acres at a selected 20 kg PLS/acre requires 500 kg PLS. At 95% purity and 90% effective germination, the PLS fraction is 0.855. Bulk required is about 584.795 kg. Bags of 25 kg round this to 24 bags, supplying 513 kg PLS. At an illustrative 60/bag, cost is 1,440, or 57.60/acre. Effective germination of 100% instead requires 22 bags and costs 1,320.

Sources and assumptions

The source material explains the underlying calculation or pricing structure. Entered prices, costs, schedules and scenario choices are your assumptions; this tool does not obtain supplier quotes or predict actual results.

• USDA NRCS: National seed quality quick reference guide