Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84OCTOBER 2016 SEEDWORLD.COM / 29 OCTOBER 2016 SEEDWORLD.COM / 29 cals. Only open and use what you are going to apply within a four-hour window; think about it in terms of half-day incre- ments. I strongly recom- mend that you read and follow all label guidelines. P it f all # 4: I m pro p e r Coverage. The product can’t work if it’s not on the seed. It’s important to calibrate your equipment and check it often. Note that while you don’t need full coverage — the product can grow and multiply with the plant — you do need consis- tency and the correct rate. Pitfall #5: Tank Mixed and Atomized. This is extremely important and one of the reasons we’ve seen inconsistent results from biological products. Tank mixing the product with other products greatly reduces shelflife and effectiveness of the product. Additionally, with a disc spin- ning at 1,500 to 3,000 rpm, atomizers are very hard on life. Trichoderma are very hardy and they do not survive well the atomization process; other biologicals are not hardy. Knowing this, most seed treating manufacturers have built in ports where biologicals products can bypass the atomizer. Pitfall #6: Expired Product. Just as milk does, biological products expire. On every pack- age containing a biological, there should be an expiration date. Check the date before you use it. At ABM, we print the born on date, manufactured date and the expiration date so there’s no question as to the freshness of the product. If you avoid these common pitfalls, I believe you’ll find that biological products work very well, maybe even better than actives as they grow and live with the plant. INSIDERS ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS BIOLOGICALS Six Common Pitfalls to Avoid Unlike molecules, biologicals are living organisms and can be killed or rendered ineffective if not properly handled from storage to application. As this sector of the industry continues to see increased investment and growth, there are some common pitfalls to avoid if you or others in your company are going to be handling seed-applied biological products. Pitfall #1: Improper Storage. Heat and sunlight are toxic to biologi- cal products. For best results in the field, products should be stored between 45-77 degrees Fahrenheit in a cool, dry environ- ment. I always tell retailers to treat them like you would a jug of milk. You can’t leave it sitting on the dash of your truck and expect it not to spoil. You wouldn’t drink milk after it’s been in your truck for three days. Pitfall #2: Chlorinated Water. Unless it’s coming from a well, most sup- plied water is treated with chlorine, which means death to any biological product. This is an often-overlooked factor and can have a huge impact on product efficacy. Chlorine is put in water for one reason and that’s to sanitize it. Even if you do every- thing else properly, it will still be rendered ineffective. To get around this, I recom- mend using a water filtration system to remove chlorine. I advise against the use of additives to de-chlorinate the water, as it’s too easy to forget to add them, run out or buy the wrong product. Pitfall #3: Exposed Product. A common practice in with seed treat- ments is to open product, put it in the mix tank and if unused to leave it sit until the next batch. This doesn’t work for biologi- ABM DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL SERVICES AND REGIONAL SALES MANAGER VinceWertman@abm1st.com ABM1st.com VINCE WERTMAN