How to Figure PLS Pounds

Retailers sell seeds by the pound, but this measure can mislead you. One pound of seeds may not be as useful as another. First, the pound does not consist entirely of seeds. It also contains chaff, dust and other waste material. Second, even those parts of the sample that are real seeds may not germinate, making them functionally useless. The figure of pure live seed (PLS) pounds takes these two factors into consideration to calculate the quantity of viable seed in a sample.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Multiply the percentage of the sample that consists of pure seed by the percentage of seed that will germinate. If, for instance, a sample is 98.5 percent pure and 93 percent of the seed germinates -- 98.5 x 93 = 9,160.5

   • 2

     Multiply this answer by the seed's total weight, measured in bulk pounds. If, for instance, you are buying 20 bulk lbs. of seed -- 9,160.5 x 20 = 183,210.

   • 3

     Divide your answer by 10,000 -- 183,210 / 10,000 = 18.32 PLS lbs. of seed.