Seed Made To Order
June 30, 2011 
“Seed treatment technology is a great story for the agricultural industry, and it’s a story that’s developing rapidly with some very exciting projects in the pipeline,” says Rick Falconer, vice president and manager of American Takii Inc., a Salinas, CA, seed company. “Probably the best part of the story is the environmental benefits seed treatments bring to the industry. By targeting the pesticide directly on the plant it is meant to protect, it’s doing so with less active ingredient per acre, which is really a beneficial environmental practice.”
Besides the environmental advantage of only using the amount of pesticide, etc. that’s necessary, growers benefit because seeds go into the ground with built-in protection. “The first days of emergence in a plant’s life are the most critical period for successful stand establishment, and in some cases seed treatments can make all the difference in having a successful crop,” he says. “New products being developed will extend this pest control to perhaps 60 or even 90 days after emergence. Now we are talking about some real cost savings for the grower, and doing so with much less impact to the environment.”
One Seed, A Dozen Treatments
Many growers complain that today’s treated seed is very costly, but Falconer says they have to take the whole picture into account. First of all, some seed treatments, such as priming or pelleting, don’t necessarily control pests or diseases, but they make seed more plantable. It doesn’t matter how much a grower saves on seed if he doesn’t get a good stand.
Today’s softer chemicals, whether insecticides or fungicides, go hand-in-hand with seed treatments. Growers are controlling pests at a very critical stage, when the stand is starting. In addition, the grower doesn’t need to spray, which will of course land on some nontargeted areas. “It’s right there on the seed, you’re using less, so you’re really saving a lot of money there,” he says. “The unit cost of the seed is higher, but by not spraying, you’re saving money that way. And the value of getting 60 days control after planting? That’s huge.”
Falconer’s company, American Takii, just does basic seed treatment. For example, the company will treat onion seed with thiram, a fungicide that is perhaps the most commonly requested treatment by growers to get the crop off to a good, healthy start. For more extensive seed treatments, American Takii will contract with seed coating companies such as Incotec and Seed Dynamics. “It all depends on what the customers want,” he says. “A variety might go out with 12 different types of treatment.”
One of the developments Falconer is most excited about is Syngenta’s FarMore seed technology. Syngenta licenses the technology out to companies like Incotec so they can “stack” treatments. For example, the FarMore F300 has fungicides, with the ‘3’ indicating three actives. Today there is the FI400 and FI500, with ‘I’ for insecticide. “They’re adding more and more pests that they are able to control,” he says. “There’s a lot of exciting things going on. If we work together as an industry, it’s better for everybody because we get more products registered.”
Stacking Technologies
Incotec USA is happy to offer Syngenta’s FarMore technology because it just makes sense, says Brad Kortsen, Incotec’s sales and marketing manager. “Just as genetic traits have been stacked and incorporated into seeds to improve crop production,” he says, “seed treatment technologies are being stacked to maximize the performance of seeds and plants.” The direct advantages of this approach include: stronger and more uniform stands, the establishment of larger rooting systems within the plant, more vigorous plant growth, and increased yields. All that, says Kortsen, and it is a safer and more environmentally friendly way of providing plant protection.
Another treatment that should interest growers gets back to the notion of ensuring the seed is clean, says Kortsen. Incotec has a new seed disinfection treatment called ThermoSeed, which disinfects seed using steam. It is not only very clean, it doesn’t have a negative impact on seed like lots of disinfectants, and it’s obviously environmentally friendly. “Seed-borne pathogens can be a real problem, so providing clean, disease-free seed is an important objective,” he says, adding that organic growers should be particularly interested. “Surface fungal pathogens can be a problem in the organic arena because what you can apply is limited.”
Still another product that might be of interest to growers is called GeniusCoat. It involves the application of organic compounds to seed to stimulate root and plant growth. While not yet registered as organic, says Kortsen, it may well receive organic registration in the future. Another type of product that is currently in the pipeline that may have an organic application in the future is a biological seed treatment that has fungicidal properties. “The biologicals may become part of the package, the stacking of products,” he says.
Kortsen agrees that today’s grower has a lot more tools at his disposal, with seed playing a pivotal role. “The value of seeds will continue to increase as more traits are incorporated,” he says. “The new seed treatment technologies will provide growers a more targeted and efficient method of applying fungicides, insecticides, nutrients, and plant growth enhancements, in addition to maximizing stand establishment.”
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