FEATURE
Sponsored by RIZOBACTER
Where does BASF stand out in the
market as it pertains to seed treatment?
Giving Every
Every Advantage
BASF delivers market-leading innovation to help growers make the most
of their seed investments. AgroPages got the chance to speak with three
leads at BASF’s seed treatment department.
Brad May
Vice President, Global Strategic
Marketing Seed Treatments
Can you tell us about BASF’s full
seed treatment offering?
At BASF, we understand that farmers
have the biggest job on Earth, and they need
their seeds to work hard as well. For that
reason, we’ve developed a diverse portfolio
of market-leading seed treatments that
deliver what local growers need for their
individual farms – no matter where they are
across the globe.
Our fully integrated seed treatment
portfolio offers the most diversified line of
products, along with robust formulations,
so growers can improve their crop
performance and protect their investment.
From fungicide and insecticide chemistry
and inoculants to advanced biologicals,
nematode management, and coatings
and colorants, our products protect seeds
from germination to emergence, promote
early-season vigor, limit disease and insect
pressure, and provide tested plant health
benefits, including improved cold and
drought tolerance.
Within our ranks at BASF, we have
the industry’s leading seed treatment
specialists and decades of pioneering
research, which helps us connect innovative
thinking and practical action toward our
primary goal: giving every seed every
advantage. We are proud to offer a wide
range of seed treatments to protect and
enhance seed investments around the
world.
As previously mentioned, our diverse
portfolio sets us apart. We are constantly
researching and innovating to either expand
our current offerings or develop new
solutions. As a result, we have the No. 1
best-selling global corn insecticide seed
treatment in Poncho Votivo, as well as the
No. 1 best-selling soybean SDS fungicide
seed treatment in ILEVO and a best-selling
cereal T1 fungicide seed treatment in
Systiva.
Aside from our product offerings,
our commitment to customer service is
also one of our key differentiators. We
understand that no matter where you are,
farming is tough work, and each day brings
a new challenge. We put customers at
the center of our attention and decisions,
and work to add maximum value for
them. Seed treatment is just the start of a
strong relationship between BASF and our
customer: Day after day, our seed treatment
specialists are available to answer
questions, make recommendations, and see
farmers through every stage of the growing
season. Seeds are the most important
investment a farmer can make, so we are
there with them every step of the way to
help them balance seed performance,
profitability, and sustainability. And we back
up those individual actions by building our
【Video】Seed Treatments from BASF – Giving
Seeds Every Advantage
20 2021 Seed Treatment Special
solutions with a crop system view, providing
an integrated package of crop management
solutions beyond a single portfolio element.
What do you envision for the future
of farming, particularly as it pertains
to seed treatment?
Going forward, high demand for
sustainable agriculture in the global
market and its role as an insurance for
seed investments will be important drivers
for the growth of the seed treatment
portfolio. More specifically, we will work
to improve existing formulations where
needed, develop fungicides with a broader
disease treatment spectrum, more
specialized insecticides, and new chemical
nematicides.
What are some of your seed
treatment sustainability initiatives?
As an agriculture division, BASF has
committed to clear and measurable targets
to boost sustainable agriculture by 2030.
Focusing on the biggest levers that will
make agriculture more sustainable and
contribute to the most pressing needs of
society, BASF will work toward helping
farmers achieve a 30% reduction in CO2
emissions per ton of crop produced,
annually increasing sales share of solutions
with a substantial sustainability contribution
in the value chain by 7%, bringing digital
technologies to more than 400 million
hectares of farmland, and continuing to
ensure the safe use of BASF’s products
with the right stewardship. Our Seed
Treatment solutions play an important role
in advancing these sustainability targets.
Seed treatments employ a highly targeted
and precise approach to pest and disease
control, which, in turn, has less of an
impact on the surrounding environment and
helps farmers accomplish more with less.
2021 Seed Treatment Special 21
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