Protect your investment: The role of seed treatments for a healthy start
February 2025For soybean growers, success begins with the right preparation. Every planting season brings challenges, including unpredictable weather, pest pressures and soilborne diseases. These factors can wreak havoc on seedlings before they have a chance to grow. To ensure your crop gets the best possible start, investing in high-quality seed protection — like Stine® XP seed treatments — is essential.
“When you consider the significant time, effort and expense involved in planting, seed treatments serve as an insurance policy for your investment,” says Tom Larson, director of agronomy for Stine.
Protection from the start
According to research from Iowa State University, seed treatments defend against early-season pests and diseases that can reduce plant stands, vigor and, ultimately, yield potential. This protection is particularly valuable in less-than-ideal soil conditions, such as cold, wet fields where seed is most vulnerable.
“The benefits of seed treatments start underground but extend beyond emergence. They offer early-season protection even after the crop is out of the ground from various in-field stressors that are often unpredictable.”
Tom Larson, Stine Seed Company’s director of agronomy
Emergence is one of the most critical stages in a soybean’s life cycle. Purdue University research highlights how poor emergence due to pest or disease pressure can cause uneven plant stands, leading to larger issues for the crop in the long run.
“With seed treatments, you are investing in uniform germination and emergence, creating the foundation for a healthy crop and higher yields."
Tom Larson, Stine Seed Company’s director of agronomy
Seed treatments also provide flexibility in varying planting conditions. When weather delays planting or early planting is necessary to maximize yields, treated seed is better equipped to thrive. These treatments give growers confidence to take advantage of their planting windows, even in challenging environments.
Delivering value through Stine XP seed treatments
At Stine, we know protecting your investment goes beyond seed — it’s our promise to provide innovative solutions that deliver value to your operation. XP seed treatments are specifically designed to enhance seed performance, reduce risks and promote healthy crop development. With protection tailored to the unique challenges soybean growers face, XP seed treatments represent a vital tool for today’s farming environment.
Our custom Stine XP seed treatments combine fungicides, insecticides and biological agents to form a multilayered defense system for your crop. They shield the seed from pathogens that are culprits of damping-off while also protecting against insect pests. A robust seed treatment package ensures your investment in premium soybean genetics is not wasted due to avoidable early threats.
For the 2025 season, Stine XP seed treatments come in three custom-blend formulations.
- Stine XP Complete 2.0: Enhanced with AmpliFYR® biostimulant and Heads Up®, Stine XP Complete 2.0 is a combination of fungicide and insecticide that offers white mold suppression and protection from sudden death syndrome, Pythium, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium, seed-borne Phomopsis and Sclerotinia. The insecticide component of Stine XP Complete protects against wireworms, seedcorn maggots, bean leaf beetles and thrips.
- Stine XP-F&I: Stine XP-F&I is an excellent option for growers looking for a combination fungicide and insecticide package. This custom-blend treatment offers great protection against Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium, seed-borne Phomopsis and Sclerotinia, as well as safeguarding against insects such as wireworms, seedcorn maggots, bean leaf beetles, thrips and early-season aphids.
- Stine XP-F: Stine XP-F is our fungicide-only blend that provides protection against diseases such as Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium, seed-borne Phomopsis and Sclerotinia.
This season, don’t leave your crop’s future to chance. Arm your seed with the protection it needs. When it comes to your operation, every seed matters, and every decision you make plays a role in safeguarding your success. Reach out to your local Stine sales rep for more information about our custom Stine XP seed treatment blends.