Fungicide, insecticide and nematicide seed treatment options vary by company, and in some cases, you can pick the treatments you want and have them applied “downstream” by local distributors.   There are many active ingredients involved.  Thus, I tried to summarize the common seed treatment offerings by seed companies (linked below).  For both cotton and soybean, the standard fungicide and insecticide seed treatment offerings are pretty robust and comparable (at least in Tennessee).  In cotton, you should consider upgrading your fungicide package when planting in situations where diseases might be more problematic, such as planting in less than optimal weather conditions. Of course, upgrading your seed treatment package will increase costs.  I strongly suggest you verify the need for nematode protection in your fields before spending extra on treatment options targeting these pests.

Cotton Seed Treatments.  Base fungicide treatments are included on all cotton seed.  There are options to upgrade the fungicide package, and these will include an insecticide seed treatment of either thiamethoxam (Cruiser) or imidacloprid (e.g., Gaucho).  In some cases, seed may also be treated with clothianidin (Poncho), another neonicotinoid insecticide.  Products intended to provide protection from nematodes can also be requested including either abamectin (as with Avicta Complete Cotton®), thiodicarb (as with Aeris®), and Bacillus firmus (a biological agent under the trade name Votivo®). 

Soybean Seed Treatment Options.  Untreated seed can be ordered from most seed companies.  Thus, there is plenty of opportunity for applying seed treatments downstream.  However, seed company offerings also provide a good selection of fungicide and insecticide seed treatments.  Many of the active ingredients found in cotton are also options in soybean, so I won’t repeat the list.

Soybean and Cotton Seed Treatment Options for 2012