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6 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM THE SELECTION OF BIO-BASED CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS CONTINUES TO GROW PROVIDING MORE OPTIONS TO FARMERS. Natural From the Ground Up BY MARCEL BRUINS The aim of basically any seed treatment is to increase seed performance. This can be done by destroying seed-borne pathogens protecting the seed from soil-borne pathogens optimising the handling of the seeds and accuracy of planting and improving the rate of germination. Due to the specific nature of seed which can be relatively small or irregularly shaped or because of the intended production regime certain crops are better candidates for the application of seed treatments. An example is lettuce pelleted seed is useful in head lettuce production because of the need for precision seeding but is less advantageous for the dense sowings of loose-leaf lettuce in bed production. WHICH IS WHAT In conventional production seed is often treated with chemical seed enhancements. However nowadays many alternatives to the chemical approach can be found in either organic andor biological seed treatments. Before entering into the details it should be said that two terms are the source of regular confusion within the seed treatment sector. In certain cases the terms organic and biological seed treatment are used interchangeably and no clear definition is yet available. In this article European Seed is specifically looking at biological seed treatments. In general everything can be classified into two categories within the biological sphere biopesticides and biostimulants. Biopesticides are considered to be a crop protectant while biostimulants are considered to be a yield enhancer or growth promotant. Both biopesticides and biostimulants are comprised of naturally-derived organisms and compounds or substances and can be seed-applied. The difference is that some formulations or applications are comprised of living organisms and these are known as microbials. The products that are not formulated with living organisms but are naturally-derived are known as biochemicals. Biological seed treatment is the technology whereby seeds are treated or covered with a combination of selected biochemicals andor microbials. Colin Bletsky vice-president of BioAg at Novozymes states that such products are typically applied to the surface of the seed and are derived from or contain natural materials. Ag biological products on the market today include inoculants and nutrients as well as biopesticides such as insecticides fungicides nematicides and herbicides that can complement or replace agricultural chemical products says 6 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM