FEBRUARY 2018 SEEDWORLD.COM / 55 TIP Once the seed is effectively treated, the equipment itself comes into play. “We focus on addressing the issue where we have the ability to impact it. That is when the planter is in operation. This is why the industry came together to create an ISO standard to control fugitive dust,” Tindall said. He believes the ISO standard to control fugitive dust is an impressive example of the industry taking voluntary, proactive steps to address an environmental concern. “The process involved several manu- facturers from across the globe. Our members spent time and resources to change the way they do things to follow the new standard. These adjustments were in place for the 2017 planting season and will have an even greater effect for this year’s planting season,” Tindall said. Improvements “We’ve been working with the seed and crop protection companies on this topic since 2009 in a variety of ways,” said Tindall. “In addition to the sharing of infor- mation and expertise, equipment manu- facturers helped in the development of an alternative fluency agent to replace talc and graphite by testing it in the lab and during field trials to ensure it was compat- ible with existing equipment technologies.” Baker and Ramachandran agree the progress has been significant. Another approach to reducing dust- off from treated seeds is by incorporating dust reducing agents like polymers into the slurry mix when treating seeds. “At the Seedcare Institute, we test and work with the polymer industry to make sure the best products are used in treat- ment recipes,” Ramachandran said. Many times, treated seeds actu- ally release less dust-off compared to untreated seeds due to the binding characteristics of the polymers used in the recipes. Extensive research is carried out to select a specific polymer for a given crop and treatment recipe. “Recent indus- try innovations include development of engineered seed lubricants that not only reduce dust off from treated seeds by up to 90 percent, but are also applied at a fraction of the traditional lubricant rates. Traditional lubricants like talc and talc- graphite blends are used up to one cup per unit while the new synthetic lubri- cants are recommended at one or two teaspoons per unit,” Baker said. Precision planting On the equipment side, improvements are focused on what happens to any amount of dust as seed flows through the planter while it’s in the field. “For example, the ISO standard states that the fan exhaust should be half a meter off the ground when in planting position, and it also addresses air speed,” Tindall said. The potential for dust-off comes from the actual process of planting seed with vacuum meter systems, in which the planters use pressure differential to drive seeds to the ground. This is where the potential impact to nearby pollinators has been most scrutinized. However, it doesn’t mean there will be dust-off issues at this point in the process. “That only happens if you have nonop- timized recipes, low quality formulations and poorly cleaned seeds during process- ing, as well as the lack of seed lubricants during planting to reduce friction on the seeds surface,” Ramachandran said. It is also important to use the right dose of seed lubricants for planting. “Overuse of seed lubricants could result in increased dust during planting. Applying at the manufacturer recom- mended rates will result in not only good seed singulation but also minimal dust-off at planting,” Baker said. There are other benefits to applying products at the recommended rates, too, like a cost savings. “Farmers aren’t in the habit of wasting money on inputs. No one benefits when active ingredients miss their mark,” Tindall said. “Beyond economic concerns, seed treatments represent the most environ- mentally friendly way to use crop protec- tion products, because their application is so finely targeted.” It’s about sustainability. “Our customers care a great deal about the health of their ecosystems, as do we. After all, all of our livelihoods depend on it. Doing our part to safeguard pollinator health is a key part of that and a responsi- bility we take seriously,” Tindall said. SW It’simperativethatasanindustrywetakeaproactiveapproachinprotecting pollinators.operationpollinator.com Nick Tindall, Senior Director of Government and Industry Relations for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Ravi Ramachandran, head of the Syngenta North America Seedcare Institute.