One of the world’s leading agricultural technology companies, Corteva Agriscience, has opened a state-of-the-art seed treatment laboratory in Pretoria, Gauteng. The Centre for Seed Applied Technologies (CSAT) will utilise industry-leading equipment and focus specifically on recipe development and safety testing for seed applied solutions.
“Not only does this investment showcase our commitment to regional agriculture and ongoing research and development, but it also demonstrates our ambition to effectively utilise cutting-edge technology to help increase yields, improve livelihoods and ensure sustained food security,” said Venkata Subbarao Kolli, Corteva Agriscience’s president for Africa and the Middle East.
The seed treatment laboratory will be integrated into Corteva’s global CSAT network. Corteva’s business director in South Africa, Tony Esmeraldo, told farmers from leading agribusinesses during the launch that the laboratory is strategically positioned to meet the ongoing demands of grain producers across Africa and the Middle East, ensuring that farmers have access to high-quality seed and better field performance.
He said there is no doubt that South African farmers will reap maximum benefits from it, to compete with global players in the agricultural space.
“We can use that technology to develop solutions for farmers in South Africa. They need the best and latest of technologies,” Esmeraldo said. “Our primary role as Corteva is to provide technology to farmers so that they can compete with farmers in Brazil and the US and still be profitable on every hectare that they use.”
He added that Corteva believes in the South African market. “When we do a business case, our goal is to help Africa’s farmers get their crops off to the best start and achieve a successful harvest,” he said.
The laboratory will do seed treatment on sunflowers, grains and soybeans, among others.
A proven track record
Corteva Agriscience is a reputable supplier of advanced seed treatments and uses evidence-based methods to develop technology that enhances grower productivity. It prides itself in contributing to more efficient and resilient food systems.
The company says its technical staff evaluate hundreds of products each year, seeking out the right components and formulations to meet farmers’ needs.
Once products are developed, a rigorous research process is applied to zoom in on specific aspects such as agronomy, safety and stewardship before solutions are eventually released to customers.
Corteva’s Centre for Seed Applied Technologies will serve as both a testing centre and a seed treatment plant. Its production capabilities include the company’s Panacea and LumiGEN technologies, distributed by Corteva Agriscience’s leading seed brands Pannar® and Pioneer® respectively.
Thanks to research conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014, among others, it is set to ensure that farmers in its Africa Middle East region get maximum benefit, reduced economic risk and increased profit from its seed treatments. That is amid an array of environments, seeding rates and grain sale prices.
“Seed applied technology offers targeted solutions by applying directly to the seed, precisely as and when and where it is needed,” said Johan Janse van Rensburg, the Africa Middle East manager for Seed Applied Technology. “In other words, it’s the quickest way to reach crop health and maximise yield… With seed treatment, we can do more with less.”
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