“Polymers reduce seed friction, which reduces dustoff and enhances the flow of the seed through handling equip- ment and planters, so you get a more accurate seed drop and better spacing with fewer skips,” says Russell Berndt, BASF product manager. “Research shows improved yields when seeds are planted with more uniform spacing.” Once the seed treatment formula is applied, it must be properly dried. Diligence in Drying Wet seed costs businesses money. Whatever seed pro- tection products are applied, they all have the same issue: the seed needs to be dried. If the seed is wet when it goes to packaging, it leaves costly treatment on the line. The moisture has to be removed from the seed before it can be packaged. “Wet seed does not ben- efit you or your customers,” Moreland says. “It clumps in the bag, transfers to the eleva- tor, gets stuck in elevator cups and sticks to the drum. “Then you let the seed stay in there and let the air dry it out. It gets tacky and then it starts getting stuck in there and builds up.” He goes on to say at the end of the year, you pay employees to clean all this dried junk out treaters, eleva- tors and bins. “Remember that added value?” he asks. “It is not going where it belongs; it’s costing you money to clean it out.” Whether in Europe or in the United States, as seed treat- ment rates go up, additional drying time is required. “We think the best solu- tion is an integrated dryer and treater,” Moreland says. Attention to Safety During the seed treatment process, employee safety is a must. However, experts say that when handling seed treatments daily, familiarity can lead to employee com- placency. Except for biological products, seed treatment ingredients are chemicals that can be harmful to employees when handled improperly. “We talk about personal protective equipment (PPE) as we engage with customers about our seed treaters and seed treatment products,” says Kelli Brown, Bayer North America seed applied solutions portfolio manager. “It is impor- tant to remember that product labels are not suggestions, they are the law. They are there for users’ health and safety. “We talk through some of the simple things, like what type of gloves should be used. It is not the little latex gloves you get at the corner drug store,” Brown contin- ues. “When do you need two layers of clothing covering your skin? There are guide- lines on every bag tag about what growers should be wear- ing but often times they are just not aware. So, we talk to them about wearing gloves, pants, long sleeves, socks and shoes. If customers do not want to wear protective clothing while planting treated seed, they should keep the required clothing items with them in the tractor cab so it is available to be worn when they handle treated seed.” Employee training is as important as the equipment they are using. Companies urge managers responsible for seed treating operations to provide and document employee training. “We have a flow meter option for our seed treating equipment that is used by 80 percent of our locations,” says Andy Renyer, USC LLC director of operations. “When properly calibrated, it meters within 0.5 percent of the targeted amount. It is the best JANUARY 2019 SEEDWORLD.COM / 21 Exhibitors took to the floor at the ASTA Seed Expo to explain important seed treatment practices.