b"Theres a New Reputation for Biological Seed TreatmentsBiological products havent always had a spotless reputation, but theres a new reputation on the horizon for them.Alex MartinWHEN YOU THINKof a biological, whats the first thingent from traditional chemistriesthey can have synergy or an that comes to mind? If we were writing this 30 years ago, theadditive effect with those traditional chemistries, Little says.first term that might pop in your mind would be: snake oil. ButEven with a new image and status in the seed sector, there today, biologicals are considered a huge step in the right direc- are still quite a few misconceptions that appear around biologi-tion for sustainability, as well as crop growth and crop protection.cals the industry is working to correct. All they needed was an image change, but why? One, in particular, is that theres often no distinguishment I once read a paper that reviewed all the label claims thatbetween different biologicalsthat can make it difficult to biostimulants make, and I think that as it relates to biologicals asunderstand what type of product a customer is using. Is it a a whole, some of them are pretty unbelievable, says Holly Little,living product? Is it a biorational or derived from biology? director of R&D for Acadian Plant Health. Increasing soil nutrientThat miscommunication between product type makes for reserves by 3,000%, detoxifying heavy metals, cutting opera- some confusion in the field. From Wertmans experience, theres tional costs, increasing natural plant toxins I dont know if thatsoften a miscommunication or misunderstanding of how to apply supposed to be good or bad. But its easy to see from thosea productthe questions become, do I put it on the seed, in the claims that not only are they unbelievable, but theyre not basedseed drench, in the furrow, and spray a biological on it when the in science. plant comes out of the ground?Because of those early claims about biostimulants and bio- Our live biological organisms are endophytic, which means logicals, Little says customers became skeptical of the productsthey live inside the plant, he says. They give us a season-long at the timeand rightfully so. The industry is now focused onresponse and will grow and develop in a way that some of the correcting those misconceptions with science-based facts andnonliving products cant do. Understanding what the product proven trials.is, what mechanisms it uses and how it responds to the plant is One of the things Ive seen over the last 30 years is the bio- important.logical industry has improved threefold, says Vince Wertman,For Little, she experiences the same battle.technical sales manager of North America, Agrauxine by LesaffreProducts are different, she says. We know seaweed North America. As an example, a rhizobium inoculant in theextracts arent the same asone another. They can have different 90s didn't have a long shelf life on the seedwe were actuallyraw materials used, different extraction technology and therefore applying peat or dirt into plants, which is inconvenient for grow- have different bioactives in them. That means, the effect of one ers. Our advancements in our compute power and the ability towont be the same as another.increase our genetic composition when it comes to rhizobiumMaking sure youre not only taking the steps to understand products have greatly improved the efficacy of the products. the products yourself, but youre working with a company that Twenty years later, not only has shelf-life improved for biologi- understands the nuances and differences between formulations, cals, but Wertman says that now products can be pre-appliedis important for ensuring success in the field.SWby seed companies for growers to use as well as better genetics that have improved response in the field. Little says biologicals really should be considered a major tool in a growers toolbox these days.Whether its a biostimulant or a living biological, they can do wonderful things and theyre available for many different purposes now. If a grower has a need for anything that a biologi- Make sure to listen to the entire conversation atcal product can do, it should definitely be considered. One of thehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgSwudaDh80really great things about biologicals is that they arent so differ-42/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2023"