The answer is money.

It takes a tremendous amount of money to do all the testing, and meet all the requirements of the federal government that are needed to bring a new chemical to the market.  Every crop on the label needs to be tested separately, which multiplies the cost to market.  So which crops do you invest large amounts of money to test and include on the label?  You invest in the crops that have the potential to give you the largest return for your dollar. 

Guess what.  You’ll sell a lot more seed treating chemicals if you target corn or cotton, or soybeans rather than most vegetable crops.  In fact, it may cost more to put the vegetable seed on the label than you will ever hope to get back in sales.  So chemicals for vegetable seeds, are not on the top of the “to be developed” list in most chemical companies.   

A new Era?

Maybe.  With the advent of biotechnology and the emphasis on developing genetically engineered crops that resist crop pests without the use of chemicals on agronomic crops, chemical manufacturers are looking for new places to market their products.  Seed treatments for vegetables are a market that could use some new products.

So…how does a chemical company make money on vegetable seed treatments?  First of all, everyone has to win.  The chemical companies, the seed companies that apply most of the seed treatment products, and the grower, all must come out ahead.  The bottom line reality for vegetable growers, is that new vegetable seed treatments will cost you extra money, but in all cases, it has to be a win, win situation.  The added benefit of these new chemicals to the grower, must be greater than the cost to put it on. 

What chemicals are coming?

Syngenta Crop Protection has developed a system to introduce new seed treatments to the vegetable industry.  They call this system the FarMore Technology Pak.

Bayer Crop Science is also in the process of introducing a similar concept. 

It’s more than new chemicals.  Instead of charging seed companies for a bottle of the chemical, they are charging the seed company only for the seed they treat.  Pay as you go; charged by the 1000 seeds; at higher cost.  This cost is then passed to the grower per 1000 seeds.  Syngenta has actually re-introduced some older chemicals under the FarMore Pak name with the thought that as new chemicals are introduced, they will be added to the chemical combination. 

Currently the base mix for the FarMore Technology Pak is Mefonoxam (Apron XL) a systemic targeting pythium and phytophthora, and Fludioxonil (Maxim) a contact fungicide targeting mostly rhizoctonia and fusarium.  The addition of another older chemical being used in a new way, is Abamectin (Avicta), which is targeting early control of nematodes on cucurbits and tomatoes. Next to be added is a new chemical called Azoxystrobin which is a systemic fungicide targeting rhizoctonia on carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucurbits and leafy vegetables and botrytis control on onion, and alternaria control on carrot.  Later a chemical called Thiamethoxam may be added to the PAK to control insects on pickling cucumbers first, and then other small seeded vegetables down the road. 

Bayer Crop Science is also looking at implementing a similar system in the future.  They plan to bring out a chemical called Trilex (trifloxystrobin) targeting rhizoctonia and fusarium on sweet corn, and Topsin on sweet corn for fusarium and penicillium.  Also, a treatment called GB34 for all vegetables.  GB34 is a bacterial seed treatment that can activate a plants natural defense mechanisms when disease causing organisms attack.

A totally new concept, that is the subject of our next SeedTech Newsletter entitled “Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) in Plants Induced by Seed Treatments”, so we’ll continue next time.  Hope to see you then.