Biological seed treatment market worth $3.59 billion by 2029

According to a new market research report titled, ″Biological Seed Treatment Market by Type (Microbial {Bacteria}, Biochemical), Formulation (Liquid Formulation), Application Techniques (Seed Coating), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains {Corn, Wheat}, Oilseeds {Cotton}), and Geography - Forecast to 2029,″ the biological seed treatment market is expected to record a CAGR of 12.7% from 2022–2029 to reach $3.59 billion by 2029.

Biological seed treatment procedures involve the use of microorganisms as biological agents to keep the seeds safe from pathogens as opposed to the conventional method of using chemicals. Biological seed treatments rely on active ingredients, including living microbes, fermentation products, plant extracts, and phytohormones. These products improve the availability of nutrients in the rhizosphere, promote nutrient and water uptake, optimize nutrient utilization, foster shoot and root growth, and protect plants from pathogens. Biological seed treatments are increasingly being adopted for their benefits, such as optimizing plant growth, minimizing stress, and boosting overall yield.

Seed treatment represents an effective mode of delivering biological products due to the proximity of these products to the root system from the beginning. Proximity holds critical significance for microbes or microorganisms that depend on the relationship with roots and the rhizosphere community. Biological seed treatments are used independently or with chemicals to improve efficiency and enhance yield potential.

There has been an increase in the use of bio-based products as more farmers transition to organic farming due to the increased demand for organic and chemical residue-free products. Furthermore, the growing consumer awareness regarding the adverse effects of intensive and repeated fungicide applications on the environment has driven the demand for non-toxic and cost-effective antifungal substances that can improve seed germination and seedling vigor. The rising demand for organic food and the need for sustainable farming practices creates lucrative opportunities for players operating in the biological seed treatment market. Therefore, although organic food products account for only a fraction of the overall food sales, the segment is rapidly expanding out of the niche market, with the benefits expected to accrue to the biological seed treatment market.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Biological Seed Treatment Market

COVID-19 resulted in the movement restrictions of workers, a decline in demand from farmers, and the closure of seed production facilities. The industry also suffered severe labor shortages due to repeated lockdowns that affected production and trade movements. The decline in business for a few initial months in 2020, coupled with lower demand from a few major markets, put pressure on the profitability of biological seed treatment manufacturers and vendors.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this market were felt in China starting in 2020, as the country is one of the world's largest raw material suppliers for the biological seed treatment industry. Most European and North American biological seed treatment companies imported key active ingredients used in producing biologicals, mainly from China and other Asian countries. The current crisis being persistent suggested low availability of raw materials as the cropping season progressed. This created a scarcity of products in high-growth markets, such as the U.S., Brazil, Spain, and Italy.

Therefore, a complete halt in the transportation and logistics industry and reduced production in some countries due to lockdowns are projected to adversely affect the global biological seed treatment market in terms of volume sales in 2020 and 2021.

However, in 2021, there has been strong growth in the seed treatment industry across the globe due to the growing need for higher yields in crops such as corn, cotton, and soybeans. Therefore, major companies such as Bayer AG (Germany), BASF (Germany), Corteva Agriscience (U.S.), and Syngenta AG (Switzerland) have resumed their production operations to ensure the smooth supply of their products to dealers and distributors. In addition, commodity prices are expected to be high in 2022, encouraging growers to invest in products that help them increase yields and profitability. Therefore, except for the initial days of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the biological seed treatments segment revealed strong growth in the crop protection market in 2021 and is expected to remain the same in 2022.

The global biological seed treatment market is segmented based on type (microbial, biochemical, and other biological seed treatments), formulation (liquid formulation and dry formulation), application techniques (seed coating, seed dressing, and seed pelleting), crop type (cereals & grains, oilseeds, and other crops), function (seed protection and seed enhancement). The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes the market at the regional and country levels.

Based on type, the microbial segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period of 2022—2029. Its beneficial properties, such as ease of handling, stimulating plant growth, promoting soil biodiversity, and addressing specific issues, such as nitrogen fixation in legumes, are expected to boost the demand for microbial seed treatment in the market. Also, growing awareness about environmental safety and rising government initiatives are expected to offer significant opportunities for microbial seed treatment during the forecast period.

Based on formulation, in 2022, the liquid formulation segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the biological seed treatment market. The large share of this market is mainly attributed to factors such as uniform & easy application of liquid formulations, better performance, and higher effective duration (up to 6 months) than dry formulations (up to 3 months). Moreover, the product and operator safety aspects compared to dry formulations are the key factors attributed to the growth of this segment. However, the dry formulation segment is estimated to witness rapid growth in the global biological seed treatment market during the forecast period.

Based on application technique, the seed dressing segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period of 2022—2029. The fast growth of this segment is mainly attributed to its highly effective and beneficial properties for farmers and the environment. It also provides a wide range of benefits, including improved seedling vigor through added nutrients, faster germination, extended growing season, improved nutrient uptake, enhanced root development, and protection against disease, temperature, and excessive moisture/drought. Thus, all these factors increase the adoption of the seed dressing technique.

Based on crop type, in 2022, the cereals & grains segment is expected to account for the largest share of the biological seed treatment market. This segment’s large share is mainly attributed to the growing demand for cereal & grains for food & feed with the growing population and increasing industrial applications such as animal feed, biofuel, and starch & ethanol production. However, the oilseeds segment is estimated to witness rapid growth in the global biological seed treatment market during the forecast period of 2022—2029.

Based on function, in 2022, the seed protection segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the global biological seed treatment market. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the higher use of seed treatment products for seed protection due to benefits offered by these products, such as low cost, ease of handling, protection of seeds from insects during storage, prevention against seed diseases, and compatibility with inoculants. However, the seed enhancement segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period of 2022—2029. Biological and seed coating & pelleting enhancement techniques are the most widely practiced advanced seed treatments used to improve crop yield, germination, and storage of seeds.

Based on geography, in 2022, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the biological seed treatment market. The large share of this market is mainly attributed to the large arable land, a wide variety of crops cultivated in the region, increasing demand for crop yield & efficiency, and growing adoption of innovative technologies in the agricultural system. The East Asia region is expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period of 2022—2029. This growth is mainly attributed to factors such as the rising demand and popularity of organic products with growing organic farming, environmental concerns over agrochemical usage, large area under agriculture cultivation, and the growing population in the region, which increases seed treatment application for enhancing crop yield and quality.

Some of the key players operating in the global biological seed treatment market are BASF SE (Germany), Bayer AG (Germany), Syngenta AG (Switzerland) (a part of China National Chemical Corporation/ChemChina), Corteva Inc. (U.S.), UPL Limited (India), Nufarm Limited (Australia), FMC Corporation (U.S.), Verdesian Life Sciences, LLC (U.S.), Novozymes A/S (Denmark), Valent BioSciences LLC (U.S.), Croda International Plc (U.K.), and Precision Laboratories, LLC (U.S.), among others.