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You never work alone
B
ayer’s Crop Science division takes
product stewardship very seriously.
The company supplies high-quality seed-
applied solutions in combination with the
best management practices around the
world.
Focusing on risk mitigation, innovation
and partnerships is crucial for sustainable
agriculture – to maximise yield and avoid
negative impact on human health and the
environment. With its integrated system and
its fourfold competence, Bayer SeedGrowth
enables a stewardship approach that offers
customers support in whatever part they
play in the seed treatment business.
Seed treatments
– beneficial in every respect
Before looking at Bayer’s diverse product
stewardship, it’s important to understand
why seed treatment is so crucial for mod-
ern sustainable agriculture. Seed treatment
is an ancient agronomic practice. For more
than 3 000 years, seed treatments have
been a highly sophisticated means of pro-
tecting seed from pests and diseases and
ultimately improving yields.
Bayer SeedGrowth has more than 100 years
of unmatched experience and expertise
in seed treatment.
The benefits of seed-applied solutions for
the farmer include:
Secure field emergence
Uniform and healthier plants
Reliable, sustainable yields
Protection from pests and diseases
However, concerns about the potential im-
pact of seed treatment on operators and on
the environment require the best possible
stewardship measures that support the safe
use of seed treatment products.
Fourfold holistic approach
Bayer SeedGrowth, the fully integrated
system of seed-applied solutions, stands
for fourfold competence in seed treatment
products, equipment, coatings, and ser-
vices. Especially when it comes to prod-
ucts, Bayer is continually working on new
solutions and specific recommendations for
their safe use. In doing so, Bayer focuses in
its stewardship approach on the three pil-
lars: Risk mitigation, innovation and part-
nership.
To maximise the benefits derived from
product use and to minimise potential risks
to human health or the environment, this of-
fering is enhanced by comprehensive and
practical stewardship measures:
Individual information, training and rec-
ommendations for the highest possible
standards of application quality and
increased skills of breeders, treaters,
distributors and growers, such as opti-
mised loading and dosage of products,
personal protective equipment (PPE)
training measures, the best handling,
storage, seed cleaning equipment,
treatment, and transport practices,
waste management advice, and certifi-
cation.
Personal support and 24/7 service dur-
ing the seed treatment season for all
steps in the seed treatment process,
such as recipes, modifications of sow-
ing machines, plant certifications.
Detailed follow-up and ongoing moni-
toring of on-seed application quality
(seed loadings, Heubach values, etc.).
Ongoing efforts to develop new solu-
tions and specific best management
practices.
When this combination of Bayer Seed-
Growth seed-applied solutions and product
stewardship is implemented in practice,
the outcome is sustainable seed treatment
solutions that benefit all stakeholders.
Ten stewardship
commandments for good
seed-applied solutions
1. Purchase
Buy only high-quality treatment products
as only these ensure meeting the high-
est standards of safety for you and your
business.
2. Transport
Equip transport vehicles with suitable safety
provisions including approval to transport
dangerous goods.
3. Storage
Make sure your storage area is in line with
the label requirements and properly con-
structed – to keep the product secure and
in good shape.
4. Quality
Use only best-quality seeds to achieve op-
timum seed treatment quality, clean them
gently to reduce organic dust levels and
calibrate the seed sizes (especially for corn).
High dust levels reduce the efficacy of treat-
ments.
5. Safety and cleanliness
Pay special attention to safety through regu-
lar and thorough cleaning and maintenance
of the treatment facility.
6. Recipe and methodology
Refer to the label and precisely follow the
approved and tested recipe, as well as the
required treatment steps and correct physi-
cal parameters (temperature, mixing speed,
time, etc.).
7. Protection
Ask everyone directly involved in the treat-
ing process to wear protective clothing to
avoid contamination.
8. Training
Organise regular operator training meas-
ures to ensure the whole treatment process
is executed in the safest possible way.
9. Waste
Organise waste management in optimal
fashion.
10. Distribution
Make sure that the treated seeds are han-
dled, stored and transported safely.
For an e-brochure on Bayer SeedGrowth’s
stewardship commandments, please visit
www.seedgrowth.bayer.com.
49
March 2018
ADVERTORIAL
JAN COETZER,
grower and channel marketing manager, Bayer SeedGrowth
1: Bayer has the latest technology in seed
treatment equipment.
2: We have many initiatives to safeguard our
pollinators.
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