JULY 2018 GERMINATION.CA 39 Germination: Why are we seeing investment in developing next-genera- tion seed treatment technologies? Alan Taylor: With seed treatments we normally think of insecticide and fungicide treatments. It’s a large industry and they are important tools. Seeds are the delivery system, and the question is what else can we do to continue using that seed as a delivery system? Russell Trischuk: Through a decade of analysis, we’ve realized that to get to the next plateau of yield, there’s a lot to be done. We’ve made big strides in yield over the past few decades due to effective fungicides, herbicides and insecticides plus a big contribu- tion from genetics technologies. Still, the yield increase year over year isn’t what it used to be. Through on-seed technologies we can afford the plant the ability to manage abiotic and even some biotic stresses. We believe these products really will take us to the next level of production in our crops not only in Western Canada, but globally. Germination: What non-chemistry- based seed treatment technologies interest you? AT: With seed treatments we normally think of insecticide and fungicide treatments. Seed coatings themselves are a major area of interest for me. Specifically, using them for their biostimulant and hydrophilic qualities. John Kibbee: Microbes for seed treatment — also called biologicals — can do some incredible things and we’ve only scratched the surface. Seed treatments have become a low-impact crop protection method, and microbes are the next evolution. They’re green, have a better acceptance among consumers, but are complicated to formulate and turn into a commercial product that works consistently in the field. RT: We believe the use of biologicals in combination with chemistry allows us to plug holes in our crop protec- tion systems and improve the crops we’re putting it on. A biological seed treatment is a technology where it’s easy to demonstrate these benefits. A chemical treatment is very effective for protecting the seed and plant as it gets out of the ground. Germination: Starting with bio- logicals/microbes, where does their potential lie? JK: Microbes can complement chemistry. Chemistry is great for early season protection followed by longer season protection with microbes. It took me a long time to adjust my thinking — I spent my career trying to protect crops from microbes, but now I think about nurturing them and allowing them to survive. We’re learning more about them every day and we want to learn to harness their power. RT: A chemical treatment is very effective for protecting the seed and plant as it emerges from the ground. We know that within a two- or three- week period after planting, the impact of that chemical treatment starts to wear off. This is where biological treatments come in. It takes some time for that microorganism to grow and colonize the root system or soil sur- rounding it, and due to that we see a delayed response in disease control. This is right in line for when we see a chemical treatment begin to lose its efficacy. We can bridge that gap that we see until later in the season when a foliar treatment can be applied.