Slater, Iowa
August 13, 2003

When Chris Demerly went to the field this spring to plant soybeans, he took with him a new confidence that the blue seed in his planter would be able to stand up to the many challenges it would face over the following weeks. Demerly planted ProCoat™ treated soybeans by Garst Seed Company. ProCoat™ is available only through Garst and is driven by the power of Syngenta’s Apron Maxx®.

ProCoat™ offers growers the broadest spectrum of disease control for protection against all major soil-borne diseases such as pythium, phytophthora, rhizoctonia, and fusarium that can attack a seed before germination. In addition, ProCoat™ offers some protection from seed-borne diseases like sclerotinia and phomopsis.The seed comes treated in the bag to allow for ease and safety of handling.  The treated seed has a unique blue colorant and a small amount of polymer making it a user-friendly product.

Demerly planted 100 acres of ProCoat™ treated seed this spring on his farm in Owosso, MI. The ProCoat™ treatment looked attractive for his no-till operation and variable soil types. Demerly said he was able to get in the field earlier despite some wet and cold soils by using ProCoat™ treated seed.

“I definitely could tell the difference in emergence on the ProCoat™ treated seed.  It was at least three days quicker out of the ground than the non-treated seed we planted. On variable soils, it is a great assurance to know that the seed is going be able to get out of the ground and get a head start to the season,” Demerly said.

ProCoat™ is coupled with Syngenta’s Apron Maxx®. Six years of field testing and over 150 trials have gone into the development of Apron Maxx® and this research has shown that it can improve production 1.8 to 3.2 bushels per acre. This product is able to improve germination and vigor, as well as reduce seed-borne infection while maximizing yields. Coupled with ProCoat™ this treatment will be a key product for growers who are moving toward no-till practices and earlier planting.

“We’ve ran a no-till operation for 15 plus years and have never seen such uniform emergence on our soybeans as we have with ProCoat™. Also, it gave us the confidence to get into some of our heavier and wet soils earlier, knowing the seed was protected and geared to defend itself in these situations,” Demerly said.

Garst offered a small amount of the ProCoat™ treated seed for the 2003 planting season, but projects that the demand for the product will be high for 2004 

“Garst recognizes that growers are planting earlier every year and more growers are turning to no-till or high residue practices. These factors put a lot of stress on the seed and makes it hard for that seed to establish itself,” said Scott Hart, Garst soybean product manager. “We feel the protection ProCoat™ provides the seed is unmatched in the industry.”

Adam Travis of southern Iowa, took advantage of the benefits of ProCoat™ by using it in his low lying areas and where standing water has a tendency to appear. Travis says emergence was great and the seeds in these areas withstood the variables that can hit a seed during the crucial germination period.

“The plants were able to canopy quicker because of the head-start they got coming out of the ground. That means less weeds and ultimately a great outlook for yields. It will be exciting to see how these beans do at harvest,” Travis said.

Even though Travis runs a minimum till operation, the ProCoat™ was attractive because of the advantage it offers in controlling weeds by giving the plant the opportunity to develop an early canopy. In addition, Travis remarked on the quality of the seed coat and the ease of handling. The seed left behind little to no residue in the planter and there was no dust from the seed during handling.

“We look forward to seeing impressive yield results from ProCoat™ treated seed. Garst continues to excel at offering technology that performs for growers. Our ProCoat™ treatment is a testimony to our dedication and commitment to produce products that yield great results,” Hart said.

For more information about ProCoat™ treated seed, contact your local Garst soybean dealer or visit the Garst Seed Company Web site at www.garstseed.com. 

With corporate and research headquarters in Slater, Iowa, Garst, along with PSA Genetics, AgriPro Wheat and Interstate Seeds are key components in Advanta’s worldwide seed technology network that includes research, development and breeding facilities in 14 U.S. states and in 26 countries around the globe. Together, Advanta is one of the top five seed companies in the world.