The full question is this: How long can canola seed sit in dry dusty soil before it dies or goes dormant?

Dry soil conditions meant that some seeds emerged and some just sat, waiting for rain. This is probably not a good scenario for reseeding because the crop still needs rain. And as soon as it rains, the rest of the first seeded crop will emerge. This seed will still be viable.

Comment from Bayer CropScience: If soil conditions are dry and seed hasn’t imbibed water to start the germination process, there won’t have been enough water for the seed treatment to do anything but stay on the seed coat.

Microbial breakdown would not be very significant (again in dry soils) so seed treatment integrity and efficacy should not be impacted too significantly. We have had trials over the years where it’s taken almost 2 weeks for seed to emerge (due to dry conditions) and were still happy to have had a seed treatment vs. going without. 

Once the seed imbibes moisture and has germinated and begins to grow, the clock starts ticking.