How Seed Treatments Protect Growers’ Investment
Seed is generally growers’ single most expensive production input. Seed treatments protect those seed and emerging seedlings from pest and disease threats, and help plants remain healthier throughout the year.
The protective power of seed treatments shine in unkind environmental conditions, but no matter the weather and soil conditions, a treated soybean seed often offers a return on investment.
“Seed treatments are at a cost where, in general, you potentially could get a two- to three-time return on investment,” says Dair McDuffee, product development manager for seed treatment for Valent U.S.A. “I like to think of it as protecting your potential return on investment.”
Seed treatments provide protection for the ‘what ifs’ in weather and farming when unexpected harsh and poorly timed environmental conditions work against uniform stand establishment. Because you can’t go back in time, it is important to provide soybean seed protection at planting before yield potential is threatened by growing conditions and pests.
“In the perfect year, you might see muted effects from a seed treatment. But guess what? You're going to be yielding great in that year anyway. Your seed treatment is for those years where you get a big heavy rain after planting, or you get that weeklong cold snap,” McDuffee says. “The goal is to get that seedling up to a point where it's able to shrug off some of these pathogens.”
Early Planting Protectors
Soybean planting dates are moving earlier in the spring, driven by higher potential yields, equipment availability and larger planting implements. In some cases, soybeans are being planted before corn. With earlier planting dates, the risk of adverse conditions for seedling emergence often increases.
“People are changing when they're planting. It's all about yield potential. When you get them in the ground that early, you are certainly maximizing your yield potential,” McDuffee says. “And you're increasing your risk. I describe the first part of a soybean’s life as a race between the pathogens and the plant.”
Cold weather, excess water or waterlogged soils can slow plant growth and provide pathogens the opportunity to damage seed and newly emerged seedlings. Seed treatments, such as INTEGO® SUITE Soybeans and Aveo® EZ Nematicide, provide the protection needed for plants to thrive.
“Seed treatment is important, especially when you're early planting, to protect and maximize that yield potential,” McDuffee says.
Multiple Modes of Action
INTEGO SUITE Soybeans fits well into integrated pest management, with multiple modes of action to minimize resistance development. Using a seed treatment with multiple modes of action ensures soybean growers are not relying on one active ingredient for seedling disease control as overuse may result in decreased control or resistance.
“We have multiple modes of action against Pythium,” McDuffee says. “Pythium is one of those pathogens that is part of the soil microbial community. It's everywhere and we're dealing with multiple species of Pythium.”
INTEGO SUITE soybeans combines three fungicides and one insecticide to provide broad-spectrum control of a variety of pathogens, has a low use rate and can be applied alone or with other products such as inoculants, micronutrients, nematicides and high use rate fungicides.
“With INTEGO SUITE Soybeans and Aveo EZ Nematicide, our use rate is 3.57 fluid ounces per hundredweight,” McDuffee says. “It gives you the capability to really tailor to different customers what they might want. Whether it's someone's chasing that giant yield, whether it's just someone that just wants that initial protection, it really fits into any of those systems.”
Prioritize Every Acre
INTEGO SUITE Soybeans offers several benefits to those growers focused on sustainability, including low use rates and multiple modes of action.
“I describe applying seed treatments like you're running around the field with an eyedropper, placing that right on the seed, right where you need it. It's just a no-brainer when you're talking about crop protection and sustainability,” McDuffee says.
For more information, visit Valent.com/products/intego-suite-soybeans or talk to your local Valent representative to learn more about INTEGO SUITE Soybeans.
Always read and follow label instructions.
INTEGO and Aveo are registered trademarks of Valent U.S.A. LLC.
The protective power of seed treatments shine in unkind environmental conditions, but no matter the weather and soil conditions, a treated soybean seed often offers a return on investment.
“Seed treatments are at a cost where, in general, you potentially could get a two- to three-time return on investment,” says Dair McDuffee, product development manager for seed treatment for Valent U.S.A. “I like to think of it as protecting your potential return on investment.”
Seed treatments provide protection for the ‘what ifs’ in weather and farming when unexpected harsh and poorly timed environmental conditions work against uniform stand establishment. Because you can’t go back in time, it is important to provide soybean seed protection at planting before yield potential is threatened by growing conditions and pests.
“In the perfect year, you might see muted effects from a seed treatment. But guess what? You're going to be yielding great in that year anyway. Your seed treatment is for those years where you get a big heavy rain after planting, or you get that weeklong cold snap,” McDuffee says. “The goal is to get that seedling up to a point where it's able to shrug off some of these pathogens.”
Early Planting Protectors
Soybean planting dates are moving earlier in the spring, driven by higher potential yields, equipment availability and larger planting implements. In some cases, soybeans are being planted before corn. With earlier planting dates, the risk of adverse conditions for seedling emergence often increases.
“People are changing when they're planting. It's all about yield potential. When you get them in the ground that early, you are certainly maximizing your yield potential,” McDuffee says. “And you're increasing your risk. I describe the first part of a soybean’s life as a race between the pathogens and the plant.”
Cold weather, excess water or waterlogged soils can slow plant growth and provide pathogens the opportunity to damage seed and newly emerged seedlings. Seed treatments, such as INTEGO® SUITE Soybeans and Aveo® EZ Nematicide, provide the protection needed for plants to thrive.
“Seed treatment is important, especially when you're early planting, to protect and maximize that yield potential,” McDuffee says.
Multiple Modes of Action
INTEGO SUITE Soybeans fits well into integrated pest management, with multiple modes of action to minimize resistance development. Using a seed treatment with multiple modes of action ensures soybean growers are not relying on one active ingredient for seedling disease control as overuse may result in decreased control or resistance.
“We have multiple modes of action against Pythium,” McDuffee says. “Pythium is one of those pathogens that is part of the soil microbial community. It's everywhere and we're dealing with multiple species of Pythium.”
INTEGO SUITE soybeans combines three fungicides and one insecticide to provide broad-spectrum control of a variety of pathogens, has a low use rate and can be applied alone or with other products such as inoculants, micronutrients, nematicides and high use rate fungicides.
“With INTEGO SUITE Soybeans and Aveo EZ Nematicide, our use rate is 3.57 fluid ounces per hundredweight,” McDuffee says. “It gives you the capability to really tailor to different customers what they might want. Whether it's someone's chasing that giant yield, whether it's just someone that just wants that initial protection, it really fits into any of those systems.”
Prioritize Every Acre
INTEGO SUITE Soybeans offers several benefits to those growers focused on sustainability, including low use rates and multiple modes of action.
“I describe applying seed treatments like you're running around the field with an eyedropper, placing that right on the seed, right where you need it. It's just a no-brainer when you're talking about crop protection and sustainability,” McDuffee says.
For more information, visit Valent.com/products/intego-suite-soybeans or talk to your local Valent representative to learn more about INTEGO SUITE Soybeans.
Always read and follow label instructions.
INTEGO and Aveo are registered trademarks of Valent U.S.A. LLC.