•
SEED TREATMENT
•
of different seed types presents
a range of challenges for
growers. Today’s planting
equipment requires a smooth
round shape for optimal results.
“The pelleting, or encrusting,
of seed creates a smoother
surface andmore uniform shape
- as well as an increase in size
andweight: all characteristics
designed tomaximize planting
efficiency and improve crop
establishment,” explains Phillip
Ayres. “The latest coating
products have been developed
tomaintain the germination
potential of the seed.
“The Splitkote® seed pellets,
originally developed for lettuce
by Incotec of Holland, are
designed to allow free and easy
access of moisture and oxygen
to the seed. Pelleting is also an
ideal way of loading plant
protection products and their
active ingredients onto the
seed.”
Encrustment is part way
between a filmcoat and a pellet.
It is a process that makes
difficult shaped seeds into a
more regular shape, using the
minimum amount of fillers. “We
employ the latest Incotec
technology - Topkote® and
OnX® treatments - tomake
these seeds as easy to drill as a
pelleted or filmcoated seed,”
says Phillip.
Using high quality polymers to
help the seed flow easily
throughmachinery, film coating
prevents bridging and allows
easy uniform drilling. While the
colour coded seed is easily
visible in the soil, it enables
accurate application of plant
protection products, making it
an efficient and environmentally
friendly way of aiding seed
growth. Virtually dust free,
filmcoating reduces risks to the
environment andmakes it safer
for the operator to handle.
Vilmorin
advances
Vilmorin’s
state-of-the-art
vegetable seed
processing and
storage facilities
at LaMénitré, in
the picturesque
Loire Valley, in
France, are the
largest in
Europe.
Originally built
on this 3ha site
in the 1970’s, a
major redevelopment
programme saw the current
leading edge facilities
completed in 2010 - with two
thirds devoted to seed storage.
“Alongside competitive
genetics, over the past 25 years
Vilmorin’s Seed Technology
department has ledmajor
advances in high-tech priming,
pelleting and film-coating,”
explains Mark Sutherland,
general manager of Hazera
Seeds UK.
“Enhancing the seed further
helps growers get the best out
of it and can bring added value
to the end product. Techniques
can improve the health, quality
and germination capabilities of
seed lines leading to improved
commercial yields and
uniformity.”
“We are working onmany
species including carrot, lettuce,
cauliflower and tomatoes,”
explains Pierre Ferraton,
Vilmorin’s head of Seed
Technology R&D. “For us, every
seed is important, each seed lot
is unique and its enhancement
is adapted. For example,
in carrot, sowing quality is a
prerequisite for the yield and
the quality of the final product.
“Vilseed seed promotes high
germination quality of at least
90%. A special film coating
increases the efficiency of the
seed treatment, improves the
seeds’ fluidity and eliminates
static electricity and dust
problems in the sowing
machine.
“It leads to better field density
and amore homogeneous
product at harvest,” explains
Eglantine Blanckaert, area sales
manager for Northern Europe.
“Most Vilmorin carrot seed
sown in Europe is Vilseed seed.
Andwhen priming, we choose
the best seed lots and adapt our
priming recipe to the
ChassironF1
in
Adaptablecropping fromJune to
October for freshmarket andprocessing
smoothcurds
Extremely stress tolerant inwarmanddry
or coldandwet conditions
ality
uperiorQu
andStability
S
CLAUSEUK -
P.O. Box 111,
Market Rasen. LN76XY.
Tel: 01472371490 Fax
: 01472371478
Elsoms have invested significantly in seed treatment
facilities.
