Details for The Impact of Conventional Seed Treatments on Soil Biology: A Case Study on Raxil Pro

Yes, you can use beneficial microorganisms like Bacilus subtilis, Bradrizobium, Azospirillium and Tricoderma. In Brazil we use with a quite successfully results

For several years I have walked organic (untreated) fields and those fields treated with chemical. It is very doable to move away from chemical fungicides and insecticides. Yes, it can help boost microbial activity. I agree going cold turkey is risky. The biggest adjustment is planting mentality. No more planting into tough soil conditions, cold soils or wet soils. You want to plant when you are confident the seed with go in the ground and the seedling emerge right away. Established populations may be less than perfect so I recommend starting with crops that can yield in spite of some stand loss. Ramping up soil biology with cover crops and applying biologicals (if you aren’t already) would also be a good place to start.

No doubt the neonic seed treatments impair soil biology. They also harm pollinator insects. However, moving away from seed treatments can be a step by step process. You can have a train wreck if you stop cold turkey And have not implemented measures to rebuild soil biology. Be happy to talk about your context and next steps.

We have planted corn and wheat with no seed treatments and have seen no changes in yields over the last 3 years. But we are also using cover crops, limited fertilizer, reduced pesticides to promote soil health. I don’t know that I would recommend without taking other steps to increase healthy soil biology.

Not as simple as that. There has been success in the drier years but I’m concerned about what happens when we have a cool wet spring. No third party data that I’ve found so just relying on what the company’s post and anecdotal evidence isn’t enough for me. Another thing to think about is that just switching from chemical to biological without having the system primed may not work. Organic growers can use these and see a benefit but there system is already functioning with a biological bias.

I did and we had some of the healthiest crops I have seen. We went away from traditional seed treats 5 years ago and will never go back. We use Inspire, an Earth Smart product which is supposed to support biological health.