C o n t r i b u t i n g t o f e e d i n g t h e w o r l d , b y g e t t i n g t h e u t m o s t o u t o f y o u r s e e d w w w. i n c o t e c . c o m the seed enhancement company Part of Croda International Plc T H E W R L D W E S Y U N E , D A V I D ! Incotec’s history actually dates back to way before Incotec was founded. The seed trade began to flourish in the mid-19th century in the Netherlands and a company called Gebroeders Sluis was established in 1868. In the early 1960s plant raisers were In the early 1960s plant raisers were increasingly looking to mechanise their increasingly looking to mechanise their sowing activities, but that proved difficult sowing activities, but that proved difficult due to the irregular shape of seed. due to the irregular shape of seed. Cor Vis, a flower breeder at Gebroeders Sluis, Cor Vis, a flower breeder at Gebroeders Sluis, hit on the idea of replicating a technique used hit on the idea of replicating a technique used in the pharmaceutical industry. He approached David Dirkse, a pharmacist at the Amsterdam Chinine Factory, and research into coating vegetable seeds seriously got underway. David sought a solution for irregularly shaped seeds, and drew inspiration from the technique of turning medical pills in a round coating pan. After substantial research, patience and perse- verance, he succeeded. This resulted in a new department within the company Royal Sluis, which would later become Incotec, short for INtegrated COating and seed TEChnology. In 1968 the first commercial product was In 1968 the first commercial product was launched: the Split Pill launched: the Split Pill® , a splitting pellet for lettuce seed. 50 years later, Incotec for lettuce seed. 50 years later, Incotec is an independent company and has grown is an independent company and has grown to become the #1 global market leader in seed to become the #1 global market leader in seed enhancement, producing coatings for nine field enhancement, producing coatings for nine field crops and providing seed treatments for more than 20 vegetable crops. So wherever you are in the world, whenever you see a splendid crop field stretching as far as the eye can see, you now know that it is partly thanks to David’s success in pelleting a lettuce seed for the very first time. I T A L L S TA R T E D B A K I N 1 9 6 8 W H E N A D U T H P H A R M A I S T S U E E D E D I N A T I N N E L E T T U E S E E D