Quality is the best recipe

An even surface, a consistent color, the right amount of ingredient used, and zero dust abrasion. These are the qualities Mezőseed Ltd. wants to achieve with its treated seeds. To achieve consistently high quality, suitable treatment products need to be applied in the optimal combination with the correct equipment and in the right way. SeedGrowth offers a worry-free package help Mezőseed achieve this and satisfy its clients’ needs.

Seed production and treatment have a long tradition in Hungary. Thanks to companies like Mezőseed, this is set to continue long into the future. The German- and French-owned company belongs to the Saaten-Union Group, which is also Mezőseed’s biggest customer. “In Hungary, we are responsible for conducting the agricultural production activities for Saaten-Union,” describes Balázs Mátés, Executive Director of Mezőseed. “This includes producing seeds as well as processing and treating them.”

The main product is cereals. “We mostly produce winter wheat and winter barley. But treatment and packaging of hybrid wheat, sunflower seeds, soybean, and oilseed rape as well as corn seed happens here as well,” he adds. Although the company mainly generates these products for the Hungarian market, it also exports to other EU countries, Ukraine, and Russia.

A total volume of around 7,500 tons of cereals, approximately 1,000 tons of corn, 300 tons of soybeans, and 200 tons of sunflower seeds are treated here every year. It’s a challenging task, and it doesn’t get easier. “We are working with an increasing number of crops, and more and more things need processing. The number of problems we encounter are therefore also multiplying,” says Krisztina Németh, Head of Laboratory and Quality Assurance at Mezőseed.

Krisztina is a “plant doctor” responsible for treatment materials and procedures. She knows what she is talking about – she has been working with seeds for many years. “That’s also how long I have had contact with Bayer seed treatment products and service,” she says. “I have always had very good experiences with the different treatment materials, and our partnership with Bayer has always been great as well.” This is also the case at Mezőseed.

Krisztina’s counterpart is Csaba Csorba, Key Account Manager for SeedGrowth in Hungary. “We talk to each other on a weekly basis, especially during peak season,” he explains, “to cover any upcoming issues and address any problems.”

The most important thing in seed treatment is finding the best way to help the active seed treatment ingredient reach the seed and stay there. This requires the right combination of products, a lot of specialized expertise, and optimized application equipment. “We work with a variety of cultures, which means we have to use different kinds of recipes,” she explains. “Finding the most suitable one for every seed is a huge challenge.”

This is where Csaba Csorba comes into play. His job is to support his customers with the best possible solutions for each phase of treating and processing. “A lot of crops are treated in Hungary, and all of these require different product recipes, stickers, coloring agents, and other materials,” he explains. Treaters are looking for help finding the right combination for each machine and situation. “And we are there to lend assistance with our expertise.”

Mezőseed is lucky to have a representative like Csaba Csorba standing ready to help – and it tries to pass this benefit along the value chain. Mezőseed attaches an information booklet, published by the European Seed Association (ESA), to each sack of treated seeds. This is based on the European Seed Treatment Assurance Scheme, ESTA, the European Quality Assurance Scheme for the application of plant protection products to seeds and the handling and use of treated seed. “We receive these booklets from Bayer,” Krisztina reports. “We are very thankful for things like this and are looking forward to expanding our cooperation.”