As a leader in color solutions, Clariant’s Agrocer® offers a unique mixture of pigments, pigment dispersions, dyes and seed coating technologies to suit any seed type or treatment need.
In partnership with Standard Colors, Clariant’s Agrocer brand affords customers the opportunity to mix a complete coating to fit their exact needs, both in terms of treatment and cosmetics.
“At Standard Colors, we can mix any combination of colors to provide the exact shade or finish a customer is looking forbecause we offer the broadest palette of base colors, and a range of seed coating product possibilities,” says Kevin Brost, Standard Colors Agro Group vice president of business development.
The broad palette of base colors the Agrocer brand offers can be attributed to Clariant’s petition of the EPA for clearances for both Pigment Red 112 and Pigment Yellow 1, both granted in 2016. The addition of the colors provided the brand with what Brost refers to as “a limitless ability to customize.”
“The increased range of possibility provided by Yellow 01, and Red 112 offer for the first time in NA, brighter warmer shades in those color spectrums with better hiding power. By adding this yellow (Pigment Yellow 1) to the approved scale of EPA approved colors, customers truly can customize and brighten their seed products, allowing for easier identity by trait or variety, and appearance characteristics that match product increased value position,” Brost says. Better color for better seed.
Seeds are an expensive component of the annual operating input costs for a farmer, continuing to increase in value year-after-year. So, while customized aesthetics are still underutilized on today’s market, the color application segment is a necessity in the seed treatment industry that is gaining momentum. Mark Self, market segment manager for Special Applications, Business Unit Pigments North America at Clariant, says that for the companies willing to do so, additional value can be captured by utilizing a specific color to identify and brand seeds.
“Companies and regulatory agencies recognize the value and safety applications associated with the ability to identify seed treatments at a glance,” says Mark Self, “They also recognize that the value of seeds is growing and the color of seeds, which was once something that was an afterthought, is becoming a valuable tool that they can use outside of their packaging and marketing materials as a branding opportunity.”
In addition to the ability to utilize a specific color shade and finish, such as glossy or matte, customers can also place orders in any quantity. And that service, says John Kibbee, who serves as vice president of technology for Standard Colors, is what sets Agrocer apart from competitors.
In his position, Kibbee continually works to improve and expand the Agrocer® portfolio of products to meet both customer and market demands, noting that Clariant-Standard Colors can provide flexibility and a short response time in meeting a customer’s needs.
“Not only will we put any color formulation you want into any package size you want, in a short turn-around time, we also have the ability to bring these opportunities to the market very quickly,” he says.
