Seed treatment

Applying seed treatments means farmers do not have to spray in the early stages of plant development, saving the farmer time and money. By applying plant protection products to seeds, rather than spraying the field or crop, use of the substance can be reduced by as much as 95%, which means lower environmental impact.

The seed treatment market has seen a rise over the past few years. This is due to a number of factors including:

• The increase in high value seeds meaning it is more important to protect your investment
• Environmental pressures such as: reducing the amount of pesticides used, contamination of waterways, effects on non-target organisms
• Operator safety concerns
• Greater number of active ingredient registered for use as seed treatments
• Seed treatment active ingredients are coming off patent
• Improved seed treatment equipment

Seed treatments do however bring some associated hazards. One of the main issues with seed treatment products is the dust-off produced during application bagging and sowing. This dust can contain hazardous active ingredient which can be inhaled by the operator causing safety concerns. However a good seed treatment product will reduce this amount of dust making them safer. Within the seed treatment area we have a vast range of capabilities from formulation advice and development to application to the seed.

Formulating seed treatments

If you are interested in learning more about seed treatment formulations and how to develop them, we have a range of tools to help. Download our Seed Vision guide for recommendations on dispersants and emulsifiers that are suitable for the high performance requirements and complexity of seed treatments.