Argentina is a diverse agricultural economy, producing both grains such as maize, sorghum, and wheat, and oilseeds such as soybeans and sunflowers. Argentina’s strategic location in the Southern half of South America give it a major role in off season crop production when no grain or oilseeds are being produced in the Northern hemisphere. Most of the seeds planted to the broad list of crops receive a seed treatment package to address a number of threats to the seedlings. In fact, the Argentinean seed treatment expenditures by seed producers and channel partners exceeded USD 100 million in 2013.
In general terms, the 2013/14 crop season is affected by world commodity prices, local currency valuation, export taxes and export quotas for corn and wheat, and to variable weather patterns which in the past several crop seasons has had a significant impact onproduction in different areas and crops.
Some 32 million hectares are planted with corn, sorghum, soybean, sunflower, and wheat in Argentina in 2013. A majority of corn and sunflowers are treated with seed treatment chemicals. The average area of wheat, sorghum, and soybeans is lower, averaging 80% (wheat) to 90% (sorghum and soybeans)
There is an average of 1.2 applications, and some 38.3 million hectares are treated.
A little over 30 hectares receive a fungicide seed treatment in Argentina in 2013. Of the total, Biagro, Maxim, and Curasemillas Nova Plus account for a large portion of the market.
| Seed Treatment Fungicides in Argentina by Brand* and Crop, 2013 | ||||||
| Brand | Corn | Soybeans | Sunflower | Sorghum | Wheat | |
| Biagro TC | – | X | – | – | – | |
| Biagro Total | – | X | – | – | – | |
| Curasemillas Nova Plus | – | X | – | – | – | |
| Maxim XL | X | X | X | X | – | |
| Protreat 2 | – | X | – | – | – | |
| X= used to treat crop | ||||||
Insecticide seed treatments were applied to the equivalent of almost 7.5 million hectares in 2013. The two largest brands are Poncho and Cruiser formulations.
| Seed Treatment Insecticides in Argentina by Brand* and Crop, 2013 | |||||
| Brand | Corn | Soybeans | Sunflower | Sorghum | Wheat |
| Assail/Mospilan | – | – | X | – | – |
| Avicta | X | X | – | – | – |
| Cruiser 35 FS | X | X | X | X | X |
| Cruiser 60 FS | X | – | – | – | – |
| Cruiser 60 FS Semillero | – | X | – | X | – |
| Excelto | X | – | X | – | – |
| Fortenza Semillero | X | X | – | – | – |
| Gaucho 60 FS | – | – | X | – | X |
| Goliath | – | X | – | – | – |
| Matrero 600 FS | – | – | – | – | X |
| Picus | – | – | X | – | – |
| Poncho 60 FS | X | – | – | X | – |
| Poncho Sol | – | – | X | – | – |
| Punto | X | – | – | X | – |
| Regent ET | – | X | – | – | – |
| Siferol | – | – | – | X | – |
| Zaino | X | X | X | X | – |
| X= used to treat crop*brands ordered alphabetical order | |||||
Argentina continues to be the third largest producer of biotech crops after the United States and Brazil, producing 14% of the world´s total biotech crops. Kline’s Argentina chapter of the global seed treatment market research is a detailed analysis of Argentinean seed treatment market in 2013 covering the following topics:
- Crop background and planted acres
- Crop end use by acres or volume
- Production and crop protection methods
- Key seed suppliers and their product capability with treatment
- Role of seed treatment as crop protection method
- Key diseases, insects, nematodes, and other reasons seeds are treated; regional differences within countries when appropriate
- Chemical treatment methods for target diseases and insects and non-chemical alternatives
- Product sales and market share for seed treatment products
- Active ingredient use for seed treatment products
- Sales by company for seed treatment products
- Seed treatment outlook and assumptions by crop background
