Strategic management and seed protection are necessary,says Bayer CropScience manage‏r

With the development of genetics, biotechnology and all other technological advances of the farm business, there are strategies that are necessary for the management of seed protection and also of the investments made. It is what points out the manager of SeedGrowth at Bayer CropScience, Siegfrid Baumann.

According to the Brazilian Association of Seeds and Seedlings, the Brazilian production of seeds jumped from 1.6 million tons in 2001 to over three million tons in the season 2012/2013. Experts highlight that Brazil's continental characteristic favors production of high quality seeds, seeds of different species and different edaphoclimatic conditions.

"Besides the fact that the farmer can use quality seeds, the acquisition of certified seeds and good precedence associated with seed treatment are practical that foster more security on the investments made. In the case of treatment of seeds, we are talking about treatment with fungicides to control diseases and with an insecticide to protect the seed from a pest attack", details the executive.

"There are still different technologies to apply these products to the seeds and this can also interfere on the quality of the treatment and on the products efficiency. Other techniques should be considered, such as the practical management of pest during the year and the application of an inoculant, for instance, which would help the plants to absorb nitrogen, a fundamental element for its development, and make the protection of the productive potential of each variety", he adds.

Baumann, however, affirms that "in order for the investment really be successful, the farmer should balance a set of other factors, such as the choice of a variety adapted to a determined region, to obey to agronomic recommendations, correct and fertilize the soil, with effective products and complete from the crop protection stand point".

The manager of Bayer CropScience highlights the product CropStar®, which according to him "acts on different targets constituting a differentiated insecticide for seed and seedling protection against pests, such as caterpillars, sucking insects and nematodes. It also has an action which we call "Anti-stress force", so that it already acts on the plants metabolism, promoting a better development, linked to a better abortion of water and nutrients, converting all of that on a visual of the roots and the aerial part. For the farmer, it is the beginning of investment protection of inputs and agrochemicals for the planting of the new crop".

Baumann cites yet other company solutions in this area. "Bayer created a concept called Bayer SeedGrowth^TM, in which are all the best technologies available for seeds treatment. Besides the products for agriculture, we also produce equipments for seeds treatment and coatings. And also, it has the seeds Bayer CropScience, such as the example of cotton FiberMax® and the technology for soybeans of SoyTech®. In summary, there are five fronts: product, equipment, coverage, service and seeds. "