b"CONTENT FROM ASTA4.CeraMax Organic. A Sustainable Solution forLeveraging Mapping to Facilitate Communications with Managing Seedborne Pathogens in Organic Crops Seed ProducersPresenting Company: Direct Enterprises, Inc.Presenting Company: FieldWatchSpeaker: Jan Stechmann is Vice President, Sales and MarketingSpeaker: Bob Walterswith Ceradis Crop Protection B.V. Bob Walters was hired as the first FieldWatch employee after In his role, Jan is responsible for global sales and marketing, busi- creation of the non-profit by Purdue University. He helped ness development and execution of orders with a key focus onFieldWatch grow to provide an online registry across the US the Americas. Prior to this, from 2011 to 2019 Stechmann served asin 25 states and Saskatchewan. FieldWatch has experienced President, CEO of HELM Agro US where he led strategic initia- double-digit growth over annually over the past 10 years under tives to accelerate innovation, growth and profitability of the U.S.his leadership.crop protection portfolio and business expansion plans. Previously, Stechmann also held executive roles in global product manage- Description: FieldWatch rolled out SeedFieldCheck in 2020 ment and product development with HELM AG, based in Hamburgthat connects seed corn production locations in eight mid-Germany. Stechmann holds a masters degree in Businesswest states with aerial applicators to communicate locations of Administration from The Ashridge Business School in the Unitedsummer field workers. This registry streamlines and simplifies Kingdom and a bachelors degree in Business Administration fromthe communication of workers to applicators before they spray.the Institut fr Aussenhandel am Lmmermarkt e.V. in Germany. A high-impact leader with 23 years of international business man- Why It Matters to the Seed Industry: In the interest of worker agement experience, Stechmann has worked in Europe, Asia,protection and stewardship, SeedFieldCheck provide near real South America and the U.S. time information and location of field workers in midwest states.Description: CeraMax Organic is a new biological seed treatment for the prevention of soil-borne fungal diseases inBetter Together: Biological Seed Treatments Paired organically grown corn, soybeans, and wheat. A first-of-its-kindwith Traditional IPM.technology for the organic seed treatment industry, CeraMaxPresenting Company: DPH Biologicals Organic provides environmental stewardship, seed safety, and mixing compatibility attributes. Its active ingredient, Natamycin,Speaker: Alex Cochran, Ph.D, Chief Technology Officer, DPH is new to the agriculture industry. Natamycin is a biological mol- Biologicalsecule that activates defensive pathways, allowing the seed toAlex joined DPH Biologicals in June 2021, tasked with respon-utilize genetic resistance to prime its physiology to a protective- sibility of advancing the companys science and technology ready state prior to fungal infection. Recognized by the EPA asportfolio. He brings more than twenty years of agricultural a biopesticide, CeraMax Organic' has a proprietary formulationresearch & development experience, holding multiple leadership engineered specifically for organic farming use. roles at Syngenta and Corteva focused on crop protection, seed treatments and biologicals. Alex has an exceptional record of Why It Matters to the Seed Industry: The lack of effectivedeveloping some of the most successful active ingredients and seed treatment for the organic market has resulted in a largeproduct concepts for foliar, seed, soil and turf applications.percentage of seeds being planted with inferior protectioncausing growers financial losses of 10% to 40% annually dueDescription: This presentation will cover the importance of bio-to lost yield, disruptions in the supply chain, and impacts onfungicides aiding traditional fungicides in face of resistance/lack product quality. With few organically certified seed treatmentsof sensitivity. Using data collected from our partnership with available, CeraMax Organic is an important market solution. AUniv. of IL Crop Physiology Lab, Alex will cover our studies and model product for what the organic industry has been waitinghow growers only have 1 shot to mange seedling mortality.for, CeraMax Organic is equivalent in performance to synthetic seed treatments but with organic and environmental steward- Why It Matters to the Seed Industry: Growers only have ship features and easier handling, plus, better economic value1 shot to get disease management right, with seedlings. for growers. As consumer demands for organic crops con- Understanding how to prevent mortality is vital to a successful tinue to rise, Direct Enterprises recognizes the need to delivercrop.industry-leading organic seed treatments to the agriculture industry. CeraMax Organic biological seed treatment reflects Direct Enterprises commitment to meeting the ever-changing demands of todays organic growers.DECEMBER 2023SEEDWORLD.COM /67"