France prepared to use crop protection through seed coating

Due to important yield losses in the cultivation of salads (7-14% in 2009) because of aphids, French plant raisers and growers have made a strong appeal to their government to allow the use of Cruiser from Syngenta as a crop ptotection seed coating. Since this insecticide application on seeds has already been in practice in Northern Europe for several years, French plant raisers are feeling the pressure from these markets and have managed to convince the French Ministry of Agriculture to give a temporary derogation for the use of Cruiser 600FS on endive and lettuce, starting on January 8th, 2010 and presently valid until September 16th, 2010.

Since the coating of seeds with insecticide is a specialised operation, the French Ministry of Agriculture consulted INCOTEC International B.V. on the practice of the application, the product forms and the use of the coated seeds, both in Sanokote on viable seeds and Sanokote Smart, insecticide seed coating on dead seeds.

France is working hard on their plan Écophyto 2018 aimed at reducing the use of plant protection products by 50% by 2018. Many discussions are being held in France on how to achieve these goals. INCOTEC is able to contribute to the achievement of these goals through seed coating solutions. The French market has taken a significant step forward in the safe and responsible use of crop protection.