b'Will Seed Traits ReplaceMASOOD RIZVIGENERAL MANAGER CANADA, Seed Treatments? NRGENEinfo@nrgene.comnrgene.comITS A WORLDfull of traits rightencourage growth. In those situa-now. It seems that new seed traitstions, youre improving early season are brought to market every yearvigor and getting the plant off to to fight new pests and diseases.a healthy start while promotingBreeding for Protein: One thing I get asked is: Aregrowth above the seeds ability. traits going to replace treatments?What youre really getting withDeveloping Pea, Hemp for Luckily, my answer is easy. No! treatments is added flexibility. That isnt to say traits arent nec- Because pests and diseases ona Sustainable Futureessary and important, though.every farm and field can be differ-Traits are unique because theyent, seed treatments mixes or rates are able to control specific pestscan be changed to address local- AS THE WORLDbecomes more unpredictable due well. If you think about the traitsized problems more effectively.to climate change, we become conscious of the food on the market, they might targetBecause a treatment coverswe eat, choosing more plant-based options to contrib-something like corn rootworm orsuch broad protection, its theute to a more sustainable future. It takes an extraor-corn earworm, providing a sig- perfect complement to a seed trait.dinary team to develop products that are nutritious, nificant level of protection againstBoth seed traits and seed treat- tasty and have fewer impacts on the environment.some of the major threats growersments are important tools to haveOne such relentless team is the consortium that face each year. in the toolbox.was recently established by Protein Industries Canada. When you think of your seedYou can have situations whereNRGene is proud to be a part of this consortium treatment, what are you lookinga trait and seed treatment areand our CEO, Gil Ronen, together with leaders from for? Usually, youre looking forworking together to fight the sameFarmers Business Network (FBN), Pulse Genetics a broad protection from thosepest. Thats not a bad thing, and itand Manitoba Harvest, participated in a virtual event unforeseen threats while alsoactually has positive implications.announcing the joint collaboration that will enhance increasing your control of majorYou get the benefit of differentCanadas plant protein industry.problematic pests like corn root- modes of action against a particularThis initiative ties together companies from differ-worm or soybean cyst nematode.pest, but you also get the durabilityent stages of the food industry value chain. Starting While traits can tackle one specificand livelihood of both the trait andwith seeds, breeding companies will utilize NRGenes pest, a seed treatment usuallytreatment. Having multiple modesAI genomics technology to generate the best product includes a number of ingredientsof action is one way you can helpfor farmers. that protect from multiple pestsdelay the development of resist- We are excited that our technology will identify and diseases.ance, especially with pests such ashigh-quality genes to improve the protein levels, starch Not only that, but some treat- soybean cyst nematode.and texture of the plants, as well as the taste, aroma ments, such as inoculants or biologi- So really: Both are integratedand overall quality of pea and hemp varieties. In paral-cals, are actuallypest management tools growerslel with research and development of new varieties, made not onlyshould have in their toolbox andother members of the consortium will work with exist-to protectshould be utilized in conjunction toing varieties to create a base formula towards the new the seed,fight todays and tomorrows mostpea and hemp flour.but toproblematic pests and diseases. As an AI genomics company, we are used to work-ing behind the computers, delivering data and valuable information to our customers and moving on to the next project, missing out on the other exciting stages of new product development. This new collaboration allows us to take part in the full process of creating NICK TINSLEY new plant-based protein products that bring more TECHNICAL FIELD REPRESENTATIVEvalue to the Canadian industry.SEED TREATMENT ,BASF This project aspires to increase the consumption nicholas.tinsley@basf.com of plant-based foods, in Canada and globally, and as agriculture.basf.us/crop-protection/use-areas/seed-treatment.html such, contribute to a more sustainable future.24/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2021'