Resilient coated seeds introduced to farmers
AN advanced seed coating technology that provides nutrition to help boost growth and protection from harmful fungi and insects was introduced to farmers.
This new technology was developed to continuously improve seed quality and ensure successful seedling establishment in agricultural fields.
“Vegetable farmers across the whole country help ensure food security and nutrition for everyone,” says Jay Lopez, general manager of EastWest Seed Philippines which introduced the advanced coating called NutriShield+.
The company introduced technology to vegetable farmers in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Batangas during the product launch at Hacienda Angelita, San Rafael, Bulacan on May 10.
NutriShield+ ensures an improved seedling vigor and better protection against early-season pests, helping vegetable farmers across the country improve their livelihood.
With NutriShield+, East-West Seed is helping farmers reach more people and provide better seedling nutrition and protection.
“Faster emergence, bigger seedlings and more uniformity — this technology not only helps farmers thrive but also consumers live healthier lives with more nutritious vegetables,” Lopez said.
During the launch, farmers learned about the technology from the company. One of them, Johnny Gatuz, whose farm is located in Bulacan, emphasized the growthboosting qualities of the NutriShield+ technology that he experienced with EastWest Seed’s eggplant varieties fortuner and calixto.
“The seedlings exhibit remarkable qualities. Right from the outset, their uniformity and vibrant color are striking. Even after the transplanting process, discernible vigor improvements including wider leaves, increased branching, and robustness in growth become apparent,” Gatuz said.
Edmundo Miranda, a Bulacan corn farmer, said the seedling protection using East-West Seed’s sweet pearl variety: “The growing corn plants are not immediately affected by the fall armyworm. We can save on three to four sprays for corn. That’s where our savings come from.”
Seedling protection against fungi is the main criterion for Jun Susie, a bitter gourd farmer from Pampanga, who grows the East-West Seed variety mestisa which, according to him, is resilient to fungi and mold.
“They are not easily affected by fungus. That’s the difference. These seeds are of high quality; they’re resilient,” he said.
There are 18 varieties across eight crops with NutriShield+ including waxy corn, sweet corn, cucumber, bitter gourd, eggplant, pumpkin, tomato, and watermelon. East-West Seed is continuously improving its varieties through innovation to improve the livelihood of vegetable farmers.