Sakata Seed America announces upcoming changes in the relationship between Sakata and Kamterter.  Sakata purchased the exclusive rights to Kamterter’s patented Solid Matrix Seed Priming (SMP^®) technology for vegetables, flowers and culinary herbs in 1998, and Sakata is using that technology to develop and market our Primax^® seed products.   

Associated with the technology rights purchase and the transitioning of the technologies, Sakata licensed Kamterter to use SMP^® in the vegetable, herb and flower seed sectors with certain vegetable & flower species.  That current license agreement will end December 31, 2003 and Sakata has elected not to renew the current agreement.  

This announcement is being made now so that priming customers are aware of the upcoming changes and factor this information into their future seed enhancement order plans.  Sakata will continue its long-term commitment to the seed enhancement business on a worldwide basis, and is expanding its product line of Primax^® seed.

This technology provides seed enhancement that is gentle on the seed and offers customers improved germination and uniformity of emergence under adverse temperatures and sowing regimes.  Primax^® seed enhancement technology is a cost effective management tool for the establishment of crops under difficult growing conditions.

Primax^® Solid Matrix Priming is the enhancement of seed in an inert medium whereas the osmotic method of priming seed is the immersion of seeds into a liquid medium.  The Primax^® process is a gentler process of priming on specific flower and vegetable species due to slower hydration process.  This process offers improved shelf life due to the slower hydration process.  Each lot is specifically primed to better match customer growing conditions.

Sakata Seed America, Inc. is located in Morgan Hill, California.  The company provides high quality flower and vegetable seed.  For trial information, or information on Sakata’s products, services, or dealers, please call (408) 778-7758, e-mail info@sakata.com or visit www.sakata.com.