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SEPTEMBER 2015 SEEDWORLD.COM 35 Its like sticking a piece of tape to a dusty shirt it wont stick very well because the tape cant adhere to the material. Seed is the same way. If we dont have effec- tively conditioned seed the treatment wont stick. Even though we have excellent polymers that step is critical. Pedersen says that poly- mers help to decrease abra- sion and dust but also help to increase the flowability and plantability of the seed. Pedersen adds that polymers need to perform flowability and plantability the same across environmen- tal conditions be it hot and humid cool and damp or dry to get consistent seed drop. Reinot says that improve- ments to coatings and poly- mers ease handling for both seed dealers and farmers and enable precision planting. If the seed doesnt flow properly through the planter farmers will see skips and doubles she says noting thats not making every seed count. For a crop such as corn that has a high correlation of seed rate to yield flowability is everything Pedersen says. In the quest to improve yields companies must also be conscious of the environ- ment and strive to improve sustainability. On this front dust from the planting of treated seed can be an issue. With regard to abrasion and dust-off we want our active ingredients to stick on the seed Pedersen says. Thats what farmers are paying for. If it doesnt stick it can decrease the efficacy. At INCOTEC the team is focused on reducing abrasion and dust-off and improving flowability. We need to have good flow at all levels from treat- ment to bagging or packaging and seeding Legro says. But its not just product performance thats hurt when the seed coating and polymers dont keep everything on the seed. Certain studies indicate that dust from neonicotinoid treated seed can be harmful to nearby pollinators. Couple the demands of reducing dust-off with the need to add more ingredients to the seed and the challenge for the seed coatings sector only escalates. The seed industry faces increasing pressure from regulatory bodies especially regarding the use and safety of chemicals Legro says. Theres consumer pressure to use fewer chemicals and find more sustainable solutions therefore we are constantly looking for other solutions. We have to change coatings very fast to address these demands. Reinot agrees. The real estate on seed is limited its We have to ensure that the seed coatings we develop are compatible with classical chemistries and biologicals and that they are compatible during the application process and once theyre on the seed. Eda Reinot Bob Legro serves as INCOTEC Group BV director for research and development.