Quality Seed Treatment Benefits vs. Risks of Over-Treating Seeds
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Every season, there’s an expanding array of seed treatment options promising to help farmers deliver extra yield. Even a small advantage can make a big difference in a season’s profitability, so it’s understandable why adding another treatment is so appealing.
What many farmers may not realize however, is how finely calibrated seed treatments need to be to work effectively. Over-treatment often disrupts this balance and can reduce effectiveness of original seed treatment. This is why Corteva Agriscience, as one of the largest global seed companies, has invested in developing technologies and a process that allows us to hone recipes and application practices to deliver proven seed treatment solutions that help farmers protect their season’s most valuable input.
We sat down with a team of experts in Corteva Agriscience Seed Applied Technologies to discuss all the care and attention that goes into those brightly colored seed coatings and how over-treatment — the process of adding another seed treatment on top of an existing one — may compromise seed treatment quality. Mark Howieson, Global Technical Services Leader, Seed Applied Technologies; Robert Graves, Seed Applied Technologies Product Manager; Bradley Van Kooten, Marketing Leader, Seed Applied Technologies; and Adam Gaspar, Technical Manager, Seed Applied Technologies Research and Development, answered some common questions about seed treatments, shared what’s special about the Corteva process and explained why adding an over-treatment may not be in a farmer’s best interest.
Why does it matter how seed is treated, and how does over-treatment affect seed quality?
Howieson: Think of seed treatment like baking a cookie. You have your main ingredients and there are many ways you can combine those to make a cookie that tastes pretty good.
But what if you want to develop the highest-quality cookie possible? That’s harder and depends on a lot of variables, like the quality of the ingredients you put in, how they’re combined, how long you bake it and so on. Adding an over-treatment is like putting in another ingredient and then baking the cookie again. The new ingredient might not play well with your existing recipe. Baking the cookie a second time will affect quality.
At Corteva, our seed treatments follow very specific recipes to meet the needs of the farmer. Then we’re testing that recipe over and over, in multi-year trials, before bringing it to customers. Adding something else on top could throw the whole thing off.
How does Corteva develop its seed treatments?
Gaspar: To start, we’re really focused on what farmers need in the field. Those potential solutions are then developed and tested at our dedicated Centers for Seed Applied Technologies [CSAT]. Through development, we’re refining recipes as well as scaling up the application process to ensure it works on an industrial scale.
Graves: There are multiple CSAT centers across the globe, which allows us to be specific to a region’s needs and crops. Every area is going to have different challenges. Some areas may be more hot and humid, some may be more cool and dry. We’re able to test under those specific conditions.
What are the criteria for a high-quality seed treatment? How does Corteva determine what makes it to market?
Graves: Corteva uses a set of criteria we call PASSER. PASSER is an acronym that stands for plantability, application, stewardship, seed safety, efficacy and regulatory. These act as checkpoints we put in place for ourselves to make sure we’re bringing out the best products.
PASSER is the internal process Corteva uses to evaluate seed treatments to ensure they meet the highest standards.
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PASSER is the internal process Corteva uses to evaluate seed treatments to ensure they meet the highest standards.
Every season, there seem to be new options out there for over-treatments, especially with biologicals. What’s the harm in adding a biological?
Howieson: If you’re planting Corteva-treated seed, the treatment probably already has a biological component. Now you add another one, and they may interact in an unexpected way, even canceling each other out. It’s easy to think of naturally derived products as safe to add on, but everything you add has the potential to negatively impact what’s already there.
Van Kooten: There’s also the issue that every time seed is handled, you have the potential for damage to that seed. This is especially true with corn because the embryo is more exposed than in soybean seed.
Graves: That’s a real risk if you’re not using the right equipment or handling seed properly. The tumbling action could damage the seeds physically, or potentially take off or mess up the treatment that’s already been applied.
Seed needs to be handled carefully in the treatment process to avoid damaging the embryo. Over-treatment may damage treatments already on the seed.
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Seed needs to be handled carefully in the treatment process to avoid damaging the embryo. Over-treatment may damage treatments already on the seed.
What would you say to a farmer who’s worried about leaving yield on the table if they don’t try a new over-treatment?
Gaspar: While it might feel like you’re missing out by not going for the “latest and greatest,” if your seed is protected with Corteva seed treatments, you’ve already got a very complete package. Our corn recipe includes proven biologicals, and we’re always working on new solutions, such as Lumidapt™ Valta LS, which has benefits for germination, emergence and root development.
Van Kooten: We appreciate that everyone needs an edge. We’re as excited about innovation as anyone in agriculture, but we want to make sure we do it right.
Gaspar: When you plant Corteva-treated seed, you know we’ve thoroughly tested this recipe. We know it works and that it works specifically with the seed genetics you’ve purchased. We really strive to deliver just what you need.
Lumidapt™ Valta LS is not registered for sale or use in all states or countries. Contact your local regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your area. Always read and follow label directions.