Making good even better: Adding micronutrients to seed coatings

Markus Borkowski: “While zinc really plays a key role in many enzymatic systems, such as photosynthesis or the conversion of sugars into starch, manganese is necessary for enzymatic activities like chlorophyll synthesis. Compared to these two micronutrients, the need for molybdenum might seem very limited, at only ten grams per hectare and year, but it’s compulsory for nitrate reduction and nitrogen metabolism.”
 

Clemence Courtois: “Currently, we use it mainly for corn and cereals. When we talk about key regions, we have demand for cereals in Europe – especially Eastern European countries, where we have had good experience for several years in Poland, for example. In the meantime, we are launching this product step by step in several European countries, such as Serbia, Romania, and Spain. Furthermore, we are focusing on the Asia Pacific region, and in Latin America we see strong demand in Argentina, mainly for corn and soybeans.”
 

Clemence Courtois: “Peridiam Active 109 is a seed coating dedicated to cereals and it works in many combinations with different kinds of seed treatment products. It supports early plant development by adding the micronutrients zinc, manganese, and molybdenum, and provides the cereal crop with a balanced nutrient add-on at germination. Moreover, it keeps the dust level well below the critical threshold. So far we have had absolutely positive results with our Bayer SeedGrowth products like Redigo® Pro, for instance, and also Bariton® Perfect. But of course, Peridiam Active 109 is performing well with other products and combinations as well.”

 

Markus Borkowski: “We did some laboratory trials in the UK. And what we saw was faster germination of combinations that included Peridiam Active 109. Moreover, there was an effect on maximum root depth and we observed enhanced root biomass in combinations with this seed coating. And there was an indication that the addition of Peridiam Active 109 also enhanced the chlorophyll content under nutrient-limited conditions. We also observed a trend that the addition of Peridiam Active 109 had a positive effect on early shoot growth.”
 

Markus Borkowski: “There were some significant beneficial effects in the tests on root growth. Under the nutrient-limited conditions all the treatments that included Peridiam Active 109 in addition to the fungicide showed faster germination and enhancement of early root growth.”

 

Clemence Courtois: “The aim is to develop this line as one of the cornerstones in our future portfolio. Currently, we are really focused on cereals with Peridiam Active 109 (red color) and Peridiam Active 110 (colorless). But we will soon launch a third product in cereals with a wider range of micronutrients to have a broader selection for all customer segments and country requirements. This will be Peridiam Active 112, a new combination of four micronutrients to add even more benefits and support a plant’s early growth stage even better. We are currently doing some testing to gain more insights into the potential positive impact compared to the current line. This seed coating is supposed to be launched in France first before being launched in other European countries within the next three years. With this seed coating we are going to complete our Peridiam Active family in cereals, so that we have a broad range to cover different customer segments and market needs.”
 

Markus Borkowski: “Yes, there are more innovations in the pipeline as we are currently working on new products for other crops as well: we are preparing a new Peridiam Active seed coating for corn, for example. The product could be launched in 2021 in Europe, followed by Latin American countries. The goal of this product is once again to have a wider range of micronutrients and to fulfill future regulations regarding dust control, combined with good flowability of the treated seeds and a superb red look.”