Seed Treatments: Protecting your investment during the critical early developmental stages

The use of seed treatments has become a standard agronomic practice for many farmers across all crop types, including in Western Canada. Seed treatments are a major tool in the farmers ‘toolbox’ for pursuing higher yields. However, seed treatments are not the remedy to all problems and should be used in conjunctions with crop rotation, effective weed control and other agronomic practices to chase high grain corn and silage corn yields. Ultimately seed treatments protect your seed investment during the critical early developmental stages.

The benefits of seed treatments:

1. Protection from soil-borne diseases and insect damage
   Soil-borne diseases and insects can impact germination and seedling development.
   
2. Improved seedling vigour and improved emergence
   Cold soils are conducive to seedling diseases but not crop development – including a seed treatment offers protection to the seed / seedling when conditions are not conductive to growth, and can enhance vigour and emergence once growing conditions change.
   
3. Improved root system development
   Better developed root systems result in improved nutrient and water uptake, reduced lodging risk, and enhanced tolerance to environmental stress.
   
4. Better tolerance to abiotic stresses
   Seed treatments can induce changes in the plant resulting in improved tolerance to abiotic stresses. 

PRIDE Seeds offers Fortenza® Maxim® Quattro plus Stamina® on all corn hybrids. Fortenza® Maxim® Quattro is a non-neonic insecticide and high-quality fungicide seed treatment product. Stamina® is a fungicide seed treatment that increases and maintains emergence consistency in cold soil condition.  

• Fortenza® is a group 28 insecticide providing protection against black cutworm, wireworm and European chaffer as well as suppression of seed corn maggot.
• Maxim® Quattro uses four different active ingredients from four different groups to control early season seedling diseases including: pythium, rhizoctonia, fusarium (two species: F. graminearum and F. verticillioides) and pathogen fungi (such as Aspergillus and Penicillium).
• Stamina® is applied in addition to Fortenza®Maxim® Quattro to provide increased cold tolerance to the seed and seedling. Stamina® Fungicide Seed Treatment has been associated with a more rapid and increased emergence of seedlings especially under cold conditions. Increased above and below ground seedling vigour, improved seedling disease control and earlier flowering due to enhanced ability to manage exposure to environmental stresses are the benefits of Stamina treatment. Stamina® includes the active ingredient pyraclostrobin – a group 11 fungicide.
  

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