WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2013 – CropLife Foundation (CLF) today
released a report extolling the benefits of seed treatments, which the organization
says have led to healthier crops, fewer environmental impacts and economic
benefits.
The foundation is the research arm of agricultural
biotechnology and chemical trade association CropLife America.
Seed treatments – chemicals applied to seeds before planting
– are meant to defend seeds against pathogens, insects and other pests.
Proponents say the treatments are a preferable alternative to other controlling
measures such as pesticide sprays because of their precise application and
increased efficiency.
According to the report,
there are other benefits.
Treatments have reduced the incidence of the fungus Thielaviopsis
in California, leading to a 65 percent increase in cotton stands compared to
untreated seeds, CLF says. In another example, trials at Montana State
University found a seed treatment increased yields of spring wheat and spring
barley by 25 percent.
The foundation also says seed treatments have contributed to
$80 billion in crop value for U.S. farmers. A report by research group Markets
and Markets estimates fungicide and insecticide treatment markets will reach
over $3.55 billion globally by 2018.
The report also argues seed treatments are more
environmentally friendly than other control measures. “Seed treatment precisely
places the crop protection product on the surface of a small seed, effectively
reducing the need to apply products over entire fields,” CLF said. “This
reduces potential off-target exposure to crop protection products for both
animals and humans.”
In a press conference in Washington, D.C., this morning, CLF
board chair Jay Vroom said the treatments are safe and “strictly regulated in
the U.S. by the EPA, and under science-based regulations, American farmers
continue to reap the benefits of these products.”
“Seed treatment is a vital component in the array of
technologies that American farmers select in order to produce food, feed, fiber
and fuel for their communities,” he said.
#30
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