No one can blame you if you are confused about seed treatments? There are options that differ by crop and seed companies. Furthermore, pricing is not always transparent and some seed company websites are vague or do not even mention seed treatment options. There are really three pest groups that seed treatments target; namely seedling fungal diseases, insects and nematodes. I’m a bug guy so I will concentrate on the insecticide components. In corn, the insecticide seed treatment is often the key component. Nematodes are typically not a substantial threat to corn in most cases, and the base fungicides applied by seed corn companies are pretty robust and comparable.

Almost without exception, corn seed will come with a base fungicide and insecticide seed treatment package. Since you don’t really have a choice, I guess it is a good thing that at-planting insecticide treatments (e.g., seed treatment) is generally recommended. Poncho 250 (clothianidin) and Cruiser 250 (thiamethoxam) are the two most common insecticide treatments being used by seed companies. Both are pretty good, broad-spectrum choices but are not foolproof. Neither provides meaningful protection against cutworms, with the possible exception of Poncho at the 1250 rate. Cruiser 250 or 500 will not provide substantial protection against sugarcane beetles. Poncho is better, especially at the 500 rate, but there is no guarantee of perfect control.

Acceleron®? This is an umbrella name for any one of several seed treatment packages marketed by Monsanto in corn, soybean and cotton. On DeKalb and some other brands of corn seed, the standard Acceleron treatment includes a base fungicide package and an insecticide seed treatment (Poncho at the 250 rate). You may upgrade to Poncho/Votivo which is Poncho at the 500 rate plus a biological product (Votivo) intended to provide protection from nematodes.

The base treatment for Pioneer seed includes Cruiser 250 and a fungicide package. Poncho 1250 is available upon request, and Votivo comes as part of this package.

NK, Agrisure, Garst and Golden Harvest come standard with a base fungicide and Cruiser 250 (i.e., Cruiser Extreme 250). You can also request Avicta Complete Corn which has fungicide, Cruiser at the 500 rate, and Avicta (for suppression of nematodes).

When should you choose the “deluxe” and more expensive seed treatment options? With record corn prices, idle land is being put into production. Fields that were fallow, in pasture or in CRP programs are prime candidates for higher rates of insecticide seed treatments. They often have chronic infestations of wireworms, white grubs and other pests. If sugarcane beetles have been an issue in you areas, lean toward Poncho at the 500 or 1250 rate.

It is relevant to mention Bt technologies. Some Bt corn traits or trait packages have pretty good activity of cutworms. Herculex®, VT Double or Triple Pro®, SmartStax® and Viptera® will help control or suppress cutworm injury. Small cutworms can probably not survive to cause significant injury to a corn stand. Here’s the rub. Larger cutworm larvae may already be in the field prior to planting. If this is the case, Bt technologies may be overwhelmed because larger larvae are not nearly as susceptible to Bt toxins. Pre-plant vegetation management still goes a long way to preventing cutworm infestations.

Western corn rootworm problems are rare in South, and the need for Bt rootworm technologies is pretty minimal. However, there are isolated problems with this pest in parts of Tennessee and neighboring states, particularly if corn is grown continuously on the same fields. Corn traits that have Bt components for rootworm control provide good value where western corn rootworm occurs. You cannot use Bt rootworm traits on all your acres because of refuge guidelines. If not using Bt rootworm technology, Poncho at the 1250 rate or an in-furrow insecticide is needed to improve control of western corn rootworm.

My best advice ….. ask your seed dealer questions about seed treatments and price shop seed costs with each of the available seed treatment options. If you want something other than the base seed treatment, get your order in early.