Bayer & AGI introduce the STORM seed treatment applicator

Many Canadian growers are not taking advantage of the yield and plant health benefits that come from seed treatments because existing application tools are costly, time-intensive and difficult to use. Bayer CropScience in cooperation with AGI is supporting Canadian farmers and addressing these challenges by introducing the STORM (Seed Treatment Optimized Rate Metering); an easy-to-use, first of its kind in-the-yard cereal and pulse seed treatment applicator.

Bayer CropScience spoke with growers and retailers about their current production challenges and heard overwhelming concern about their ability to effectively treat seed during 2011 seed treatment application training seminars conducted across the Prairies.

Danick Bardi, an employee at Bayer CropScience, heard these concerns and using his background in engineering began developing the framework for a tool that would deliver precision seed treatment application in a convenient, efficient and integrated system. Although this went beyond his role as a Seed Treatment Specialist, Bardi, a long-term Bayer employee knew the organization would support his efforts to bring new and innovative solutions to Canadian farmers.

“It was an idea I wanted to pursue and having Bayer’s complete support in doing so really showed the company’s dedication to farmers,” said Bardi. “The unique closed-system of the STORM integrates the treating process into the current seeding operation and makes treating seeds a lot easier on Canadian growers.”

With customer feedback in mind, over the past two years Bardi and the AGI engineers designed the STORM to be easier and more convenient to use than any applicator currently on the market. Growers and retailers can connect the STORM directly to their seed bin where the seed is then treated during the transfer process to another truck or bin. The system comes with pre-set calibrations for Bayer CropScience SeedGrowth products, and the ability to input additional calibrations, to ensure the correct rate of application. By inputting the density of the seed being treated, the system calculates the mass flow rate of grain and automatically applies the correct amount of treatment, removing the uncertainty and waste associated with most applicators.

Bayer CropScience chose to partner with AGI to develop and manufacture the STORM due to company’s focus on innovation and their outstanding history in providing farmers with quality products.

“The STORM seed treater was a great concept from Bayer CropScience and we are excited to contribute our expertise to bring this solution to farmers,” said Paul Brisebois, Vice-President of Marketing at Ag Growth International. “We are confident that the safety of the closed treater, the metering and accuracy of application will remove growers’ frustrations and uncertainty when treating seeds and will result in a significantly positive impact on their crops.”

Having originally held focus groups in the summer of 2012, Bayer CropScience and AGI ran a demonstration program in the spring of 2013 across western Canada to solicit farmer feedback on the STORM. The participating growers were impressed by the system’s speed, accuracy and ease of use with many indicating the system would encourage them to treat their seeds.