•
SEED TREATMENT
•
THE
VEGETABLE
FARMER •
JANUARY 2017
characteristics of each seed lot.”
Vilrob seed is a high-tech
product specifically developed
for carrot varieties. “Vilrob gets
growers closer to the optimal
objective of one seed sown
equals onemarketable root,”
explains Pierre Ferraton. “Our
mini-pelleted Vilrob seed is
especially adapted to pneumatic
sowingmachines. Themain
assets are the heavier seedwith
a better oval shape. During
sowing, it enables perfect
spacing between seeds so each
plant has the same space to
grow.
Looking to the future, Pierre
says the seed technology
department is developing
Artificial Vision technology to
improve seed quality evaluation
and sorting.
Elsoms invests for the
future
2016 has seen significant
investment from Elsoms to
increase both priming and
drying capacity at its Spalding
site in Lincolnshire - with a
purpose built two-storey
priming facility. In addition, new
drying capacity from the Dutch
company Hoopman has
considerably increase
throughput.
“We are looking at new
technology and new
methodologies to bring seed
germination to the highest
levels, while adding plant
protection products to protect
the seed through its early stages
of development,” says Rae
Cook.
Applyingproducts at
planting
Developed in the Netherlands,
Phyto-Drip is an add-on
technology enabling plant
raisers to apply seed treatment
as the seed is planted. This new
generation seed applied delivery
system allows exceptional
flexibility in seed treatment
product application in seeds
trays or peat blocks.
According to Syngenta
vegetable specialist, Simon
Jackson, precision application of
Cruiser 70WS through Phyto-
Drip technology at the time of
seed sowing in blocks has
transformed aphid control in
brassicas and lettuce crops.
“Growers can be assured that
every plant is protected in the
initial eight to tenweeks of
growth, when they aremost
susceptible to aphid feeding
and damaging virus
transmission,” he advises. “It
has proven a hugely important,
and highly successful, step in
tackling the threat of
insecticide-resistant aphids.”
In its first season of full use
through 2016, growers of short
season or summer produced
crops have reported up to ten
weeks control of aphids from
the seed block application,
helping to eliminate the need
for foliar treatments.
“Importantly, it has eliminated
the inaccuracies and
inconvenience of repeated spray
foliar treatments, often at a
time when spray operators are
extremely stretched andweather
conditions are limited,” says
Simon Jackson. “With the
Cruiser 70WS applied at sowing
every seedling planted out is
protected, right up to the field
edge - whichwould be
impossible to achieve with the
new buffer zones for some
insecticides.”
Used in brassica crops Cruiser
70WS controls all major
seedling pests, including the
widely insecticide-resistant
strains of Myzus persicae and
difficult to control Mealy
cabbage aphid. “Treatment at
seed sowing stops early build-
up of aphid numbers and
infestations in the crop,” says
Simon “That has a huge
implication in taking pressure
off follow-up foliar applications,
if they are required in longer
season brassica crops.”
Cruiser 70WS treatment at
sowing has also shown to give
essential early control of
damaging flea beetles, along
withwireworm and
leatherjacket soil-borne pests.
Growers have also reported
good control of Gall
midge.Furthermore, in salad
lettuce and endive crops, Cruiser
70WS prevents damage from all
aphids, thrips, whitefly, leaf
miners and symphylans - along
withwireworm and cutworm,
says Simon.
The withdrawal of dummy pill
and seed coating treatments had
left growers with little or no
option for effective early season
insect pest control, he warns,
with foliar treatments further
compromised by the loss of
pirimicarb this season. Trials had
shown a 95% overall control of
themost problematicMyzus
persicae aphids sevenweeks
after planting, whichwas 70%
better than imidicloprid in the
same trials.
According to Syngenta
Vegetable campaignmanager,
Rebecca Stilton, plant raisers
using Cruiser 70WS through
Phyto-Drip technology had seen
excellent crop safety, withmore
uniform germination, faster
growth and stronger rooting of
lettuce plants, compared to
conventional seed treatment,
dummy pills or untreated seed.
“More uniform germination
optimises plant raisers’
glasshouse performance and
output, alongwith efficiency of
planting out operations for
growers,” she says. “Consistent,
reliable fast crop growth
protected by Cruiser 70WS aids
better crop scheduling and field
production.
10
A Phyto-Drip spray demonstration.
