b'Firming Up Tropical PasturesAs tropical pasture seed grows in popularity in Brazil, seed companies look to innovate.Alex MartinWHATS THE FIRSTseed that comes to mind when you think about seed production? Nine times out of 10, your first thought is probably a row crop, like corn or soybeans. Brazil has been investing in a whole new side of seed industry production: tropical pasture seed. According to a report from Jim Eckles, partner at Strategia Ag, the annual worldwide demand for plant-based and animal proteins has been increasing steadily since 1961 and is projected to be at an all-time high by 2030. By 2050, the global demand for protein is expected to double. But how does tropical pasture seed factor into the equation? Eckles explains that the efficiency of beef production on tropical pastures has allowed Brazil to become the leading beef export-ing country and, according to a USDA report, Brazil will continue to expand its position in the foreseeable future.Tropical pasture may also improve agricultural sustainability in Brazil and the introduction of improved pasture genetics prom-ises to improve production efficiencies of the producer while creating an attractive seed opportunity. We know Brazil as a soybean country, says Alvaro Peixoto, managing director of Barenbrug Brazil. But in reality, its a pas-ture country, right? Theres about 70 million hectares of grains consisting of corn, soybean, sorghum and cotton, but theres 170 million hectares of pastures. Ninety five percent of the herd we have today is in pasture.Seed Quality and Purity an IssueTropical pasture seed has been actively in Brazil since the 1970s, according to Andrei Nicolayevsky, owner of Semillas Papalotla. The species were first introduced from Australia, but originally came from Africa. Theres always been a lot of interest locallywere talking about areas which are over 100 million hectares under pasture, Nicolayevsky says. However, most of the seed comes from 84/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2021'