JUNE 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 27 IS THE SEED treated, or does it just look like it? It’s common for quality to be deter- mined by visual inspection. If it has a nice, bright color, it’s considered good. But is it? Today’s complex treatments and the number of products available provide a world of opportunities to add value to the seed, but can a visual inspection determine the quality of seed treatment application that is going to give you and your customer the return on investment you’re looking for? No, it cannot. Application rates are down to 1.7 ounces per 220 pounds of seed. While that saves us from transporting water, it puts pressure on equipment suppliers. Not only is it a challenge to apply this tiny dose evenly over every single seed, but there’s also the need to check dosage rate tolerances. You must ensure that you’re not applying too little, resulting in a lack of protection. You also need to ensure that you don’t overdose and kill the seed, or just waste your money. Even if you use more common rates, accuracy is critical. Let’s say you want to apply 6.8 ounces per 2,200 pounds of seed. If dosage rates differ by more than 10 percent and you have a processing capacity of 45 tons per hour, this means you might use an extra 2,700 ounces of chemical in one day. Imagine what that does to your budget over the long run. Using a sophisticated continuous flow control in your system allows you to pro- gram what dosage differences you can tolerate, and that’s a good investment. The ability to control tolerances and keep an accurate dosage rate will pay dividends. If using an application system based on weight, it’s important to know that the application is based on the density of the chemicals — a factor that’s never consist- ent. Even when using the same product, the density of each barrel can differ. This means you will get a different dosing rate on the seed with every package change. Also, if the treatment is pumped directly from the chemical tank to the applicator, you will get a different rate depending on the volume in the tank. Whether your tank is nearly full or more than half empty will result in varying pres- sure levels on the transportation pump and that too affects the dosing rate. Furthermore, if using peristaltic pumps, temperature must also be considered. Typically mornings bring lower tempera- tures, which gradually rise throughout the day. As the temperature increases, the hoses in your peristaltic pump expand, giving you different dosage rates. Choosing a sophisticated system to push the envelope and control dosage rates with precision is a good investment. Do You Overdose Your Seed? Chances Are You Do and Don’t Even Know It KETTY NILSSON NOROGARD PRESIDENT @NoroGardAB • Ketty@NoroGard.com • NoroGard.com ATSYNGENTA,WE’VEbeenparticipating in the industrial seed treatment market in Brazil for about 10 years. We see a need for the technology, and there’s a great deal of opportunity to make a difference for farmers. However, in our conversations with growers, we were hearing concern about not only seed quality but also the quality of seed treatment application. These farmers weren’t sure if they were getting the best quality product and if their dollars were being used in the best way possible. We identified this need as a blockage and decided to attack it. Brazil’s farmers and plantation owners deserve access to the best products the market can supply. So we began to ask the questions: How do we increase the quality stand- ards among seed companies selling our products? How do we help make sure farmers have access to the best quality products? As a result, about three years ago, we initiated a seed treatment certificate program. It’s a voluntary program for companies that sell Syngenta products. Certificates are awarded annually to companies who meet standards in the areas of seed quality, seed treatment quality, worker safety and environmen- tal/legal operation. No other company is doing anything like this in Brazil. We run a seed loading test based on samples submitted by the company and provide a report showing the seed treat- ment rates on the seed. Additionally, all seed must meet the minimum germina- tion rate and vigor standards set out by Brazil’s law. Certified companies must have the proper worker safety and envi- Raising the Bar on Seed Treatment Quality in Brazil JOSE VEIGA SYNGENTA AGRONOMIST AND MANAGER, SEEDCARE INSTITUTE, LATIN AMERICA jose.veiga@syngenta.com • 4.syngenta.com ronmental permits and follow Syngenta’s guidelines. As soybean is the biggest crop in Brazil, that’s the area of focus for the certificate program. We’ve got about 70 companies selling our product, and we hope, through the certification, to reach about 30 percent of the market in the coming years. While it’s still a young program, I believe there are a number of opportuni- ties emerging from the program. We are helping ensure that farmers have access to high quality seed and seed with a quality seed treatment application. Plus, participating companies are wit- nessing increased sales of treated seed, even in a challenging market. The seed treatment certificate program benefits all parties involved.