Agriculture
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Crop Protection
Seed Treatment

Agriculture

Seed Treatments Help Protect Seeds from Early-Season Threats

Seed treatment helps protect seeds and young plants from diseases and pests while supporting healthy crop establishment. Explore how seed treatment works, its benefits, key technologies and BASF's global approach to seed care.

Key Facts

  • Seed treatment products brought to market by BASF are backed by at least six years of research, global testing and refinement.
  • BASF invests nearly €1 billion each year into agricultural research, which includes supporting seed treatment development from the ground up.
  • BASF has a worldwide network of R&D and production sites spanning six continents that support developing new seed treatments.
  • The BASF Agricultural Solutions team is made up of passionate and dedicated experts, including some with over 30 years of experience in seed treatment.
Seed treatments are the first line of defense for growers to protect their yield potential and seed investment. With up to 40% of global crop production lost annually to pests and diseases, seed treatments provide a preventive layer of protection against early seed- and soil-borne threats.  These early-season pressures can vary widely depending on where growers farm and what crops they grow. While these challenges may be different, the need for proven, reliable seed protection is the same. For BASF, that common need has driven the development of a seed treatment portfolio that’s focused on growers with a genuine understanding of what they face during planting season.
Farmer in the field

What is Seed Treatment?

Seed treatment is the application of biological and/or chemical crop protection products to seeds prior to sowing to provide protection from pests and diseases and to improve establishment of healthy crops.

From the moment seeds go in the ground, they are at risk. Seed treatments provide crucial protection growers count on to deal with early threats. That’s how BASF gives seed treatment everything we’ve got.

Benefits of Using Seed Treatment Products 

Grower Benefits

  • Protects high value seeds
  • Allows for early season planting
  • Aids uniform seedling emergence and crop stand establishment
  • Increases plant vigor
  • Reduces need for additional treatment or replanting of crop

Environmental Stewardship

  • Allows for precise application of crop protection products
  • Reduces the need for application of crop protection products over the entire field which reduces soil surface exposure
  • Reduces potential off-target exposure to plants and animals

Yield Performance

  • Proven to increase yield potential
  • Poncho® Votivo® seed treatment delivers up to a 5.1 bu/A yield advantage in U.S. corn
  • ILEVO® seed treatment provides up to a 4.6 bu/A yield increase in soybeans in the presence of SDS and SCN
  • Votivo® Prime seed treatment offers up to a 3.8 bag/hectare yield advantage in Brazilian soybeans
  • Teraxxa® seed treatment produces up to a 38% increase in cereal stand count over competitors
  • Systiva® seed treatment achieves up to a 15.8% yield increase in spring barley, 12.3% in winter barley and 7.7% in winter wheat

BASF delivers seed treatments that start with grower challenges and are then developed and tested with growers in mind across crops, regions and conditions.

Protecting seeds means safeguarding our present and future, not just for growers but the world. Healthy seeds are key to food security and the security of farms worldwide. That’s why we’re maximizing our crop protection efforts to benefit the entire value chain.

Close-up of an assortment of seeds.
Our products are tailored to meet growers’ unique needs.
We offer a diverse seed treatment portfolio to support the variety of challenges growers face in fields around the globe, while also preparing for what needs may come next. 
A young plant sits under a microscope.
Our partners across the value chain are deeply invested, and so are we.
It takes a certain determination to spend your life working the land. We honor that dedication with investment in innovation and R&D.
A BASF worker shows a laptop to a grower in a field.
Together we’ll figure it out.
There’s nothing our stakeholders can’t handle, especially with a helping hand on standby. That’s why we prioritize our customer service and support, in the field and behind the supply counter.

Explore the BASF Seed Treatment Portfolio

BASF delivers exceptional value to the world’s key crop producers by safeguarding and enhancing seed investments globally.
Corn
Poncho®
Poncho® Votivo®
Poncho® Votivo® 2.0
Alios®
Sepiret®
Flo Rite®
Color Coat
Soybean
ILEVO®
Standak® Top
HiCoat® Super
Vault®
Flo Rite®
Obvius® Plus
Relenya®
Sepiret®
Integral® Pro
Cereals
Systiva®
Kinto® Plus
Insure® Perform
Stamina® F4
Sepiret®
Teraxxa®
Teraxxa® F4
Relenya®

If you have questions or want more information, please send us an e-mail.

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Seed Teatment FAQs

What are seed treatments and how do they work? 

Seed treatments are protective chemicals or biologicals applied directly to seeds before planting, helping to protect them during the critical stages of germination and growth. They defend the genetic power and potential of each seed and enhance performance from seed to harvest, helping crops reach their full yield potential. 

How many categories of seed treatments are there?

Seed treatments fall into two main categories – biologicals and chemicals. Biologicals are living or naturally derived products applied directly to the seed to help establish stronger, more resilient crops from the start. Biological seed treatments include biocontrols, biofertilizers and biostimulants. Biocontrols suppress early-season pests, diseases and harmful nematodes. Biofertilizers, which include rhizobial inoculants, support nitrogen fixation and enhance nutrient and water uptake. Biostimulants enhance root development and stress resilience. Chemical seed treatments include fungicides, nematicides and insecticides that are directly applied to the seed prior to planting. 

When and how are seed treatments applied? 

Seed treatments are applied before planting. In commercial facilities, large batches are processed well-ahead of the growing season. However, some seed treatments can be applied by growers themselves only a few days before they are put in the ground.

What challenges can seed treatments help address?

Seed treatments help growers address the evolving challenges of modern farming, including soil-borne diseases, pests and weather stress. Because seed treatments address these stressors before the crop emerges, they support the early health and vigor of the crops.

How can seed treatment support crop establishment and yield potential?

Seed treatments can support early crop establishment and yield potential by protecting seeds and seedlings from soil pests and diseases. By working to reduce these early pressures, seed treatments encourage a more uniform growth and better establishment, leading to a stronger yield potential.

Disclaimer

Always read and follow label use instructions. Availability of key active ingredients, products and mixtures vary by region. Regulatory requirements vary among countries and their regulatory authorities. Check with your local BASF representative regarding the use of products in your region.