Children are vaccinated against infections like polio, diphtheria or whooping cough to protect them. Similarly, seeds and seedlings can be treated against fungi, bacteria and insect pests.
Almost all crops are threatened by a large number of pests and pathogens as soon as they start to grow. Seed treatment, as numerous studies have shown, is one of the most efficient and economic ways to protect crops from harm. Many important diseases can’t be controlled by any other means. Spraying after plants have emerged may be too late when fighting diseases like common bunt of wheat, snow mould and loose smut or stripe disease, to name but a few.
Untreated, pest infested seed
Protective zone in the soil
Applying the active substance directly to the seed disinfects its surface. Soon after sowing, the product forms a protective zone directly around the seed grain. As soon as the tender roots emerge, they absorb the systemic agent. The plant’s sap carries it from the roots to its upper leaves. In this way the seedling can be protected against seed-, soil- and wind-borne diseases.
But it’s not only pathogens and fungi: Attack by insect pests can be fended off just as effectively if the product contains an active ingredient with an insecticidal effect. Pests living in the soil are prevented by the protective zone from reaching the roots on which they normally feed. And the systemic effect protects the plant from attacks by sucking insects which often, in addition to their own ill effect, transmit dangerous viral diseases.
A combination of fungicidal and insecticidal active substances in one product creates welcome synergies. Thus, seed treatment with its long-lasting effect helps ensure undisturbed germination and growth of the young plant.
Additional advantages
Seed treatment has additional benefits: It is one of the most focused chemical crop protection methods available to date. Just a relatively small amount of the active substance is necessary to provide the seedling with a high level of protection against a wide variety of fungal diseases and insect pests. This not only makes the method interesting for economic reasons but also from an ecological point of view: Compared with spraying, it effectively reduces the treated area. While spray treating 1 hectare of land puts 10,000 sqm of soil in contact with the active ingredient, this shrinks to a mere 60 sqm, less than 1 percent, when choosing seed treatment instead.
Moreover, seed treatment has less impact on non-target organisms and is not prone to drift since the product is applied in a controlled, contained environment – independent of prevailing weather conditions. Seed treatment is thus an important component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
A standard technique
Today, seed treatment is a standard technique used in many crops. In many parts of the world it is almost inconceivable that monocotyledonous plants such as rice, wheat, barley and maize should be grown from non-dressed seeds. For instance, two of the most dangerous pests in maize are wireworms and the corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera). Wireworms feed at the seed’s germination stage, leading to either the death or considerable impairment of the plant. The corn rootworm, due to the damage it causes, has become infamous under the name of “the billion dollar beetle” since the loss in maize due to the larvae of this beetle amounts to $800 million per year with a further $200 million per year spent for protective measures in the U.S. alone. Both pests can be controlled by seed treatment.
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