Many pests or left-over diseases from the previous crop may still be in the soil you are cultivating, waiting to feed on the seeds you plant. If you use on-farm seed treater practices, you will protect your seeds from the moment you plant them. To see the best yield at the end of the season, fungicides and pesticides are the usual go-to options, but there is something better available that gives protection and isn’t bad for the environment or human consumption. While you benefit from the results of healthier crops and more abundant yields, and so does your bottomline.
What is Seed Treating?
Seed treating occurs when you apply a protective coating to the seed before sowing. The options would be dry or liquid treatment. Dry treatment involves a powder that sticks to the seeds when you mix them. Liquid coating is one of our specialties in seed treatment. During liquid coating, it’s imperative that the liquid dries quickly after application so the seeds will move easily through the seeder without leaving behind residue or getting stuck or forming clumps. It’s also essential to use a seed cleaner in the seeder when changing crops. The residue left behind after sowing may harm future seeds as the chemicals used on the previous seeds may not be compatible with next crop you want to plant.
What are the Main Categories of Seed Treatments?
There are three main categories of coatings that protect your seeds.
Fungicides. Their focus is killing the fungi or spores that want to attack the seeds. Depending on the seeds planted, multiple chemical compounds attach to the various pathogens, and you may even use one, two, or three types of fungicides. They also can protect seeds that farmers plant in cool and wet soil.
Insecticides. These substances kill the insects that feed on the seeds. Not only does it kill the insect, but it also destroys their eggs and larvae. Because the insecticides are systemic, they protect not only the seed but also the seedling as it begins to grow.
Antimicrobials. A newer way to attack pathogens and insects is using bacteria to help the seed produce nitrogen. They also help extend the root system of the plants, allowing them to absorb more water and nutrients.
There are many advantages to seed treatment. Farmers can appreciate getting a head start with their crops if they can eliminate early-season pests. They can estimate production more accurately if their crop production is more consistent.
With seed treatments, the amount of spray applications lessens, which can have a positive environmental impact because pollinators and wildlife will face less exposure to the sprays.
We are passionate about seed treatments and want you to have the best on-farm seed treater experience available. Anyone in farming loves the land, and our goal is that you harvest the highest quality crops.
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