Seed treatment can be defined as the application of insecticide, fungicide, or both to seeds to disinfect them from soil-borne or seed-borne pathogenic organisms or storage insects. It refers to seeds subjected to immersion in conditioned water, solar energy exposure, or others.
The seed treatment helps in preventing the spread of plant diseases. It protects seeds from seedling blights and seed rot. In addition, seed treatment improves germination, ensures protection from storage insects, and controls soil insects.
Methods for Seed Treatment
Seed Dressing: Seed dressing is the most common method for seed protection. In this way, the seed is dressed with either a dry formulation or wet treatment with a liquid formulation or slurry. Dressings need to be applied in both industries, and farms. This process involves, spreading the sheet on a polyethylene sheet, and needs several chemicals for sprinkling on surface seeds.
Seed Coating: The seed coating method is primarily utilized in industries. It involves advanced treatment technology.
Seed Pelleting: It is a method utilized for transforming the physical shape of the seed to improve palatability. This process involves sophisticated seed treatment technology.
The seed treatment industry is projected to rise in the coming years. It is ascribed to surging government initiatives, and efforts of private organizations to enhance the crop yield, with increasing application of technologically advanced seed treatment solutions for improving the seed quality, and growing requirement for basic grains and vegetables, led by increasing population.
Under the product type, the chemical category captures the larger share in terms of volume and revenue. It is ascribed to the ability of chemical seed treatment to enhance the germination process and health maintenance.
In addition, seed treatment chemicals come with a stronger repelling ability against microorganisms, pests, and insects compared to biological seed treatment products.
Under the crop type, cereals and grains capture the largest industry share, in terms of both value, and volume. It is ascribed to the massive-volume production of cereals and grains, including wheat, rice, corn, ragi, barley, and sorghum, led by increasing consumption and surging per capita income.
Pramod has around 7 years of experience in market research and consulting services for healthcare industry.
