Increasing R&D Activities to Develop New, High-Performance Coating Methods are Expected to Propel the Seed Coating Materials Market Growth

 

Seed coating is the strategy of formulation of seed protection on top of the seed. The main intent behind seed coating escalates the protection of seeds against fungal, pathogenic attacks. Seed coating is the applying of exogenous materials onto the surface of seeds, which aims to enhance seed appearance and handling characteristics (such as size and weight) or/and deliver active compounds that will protect the seeds from pathogenic attacks and increase germination and plant growth. Several materials such as repulsive agents, fertilizers, polymers are used to coat seeds.

Moreover, increasing R&D activities to develop new, high-performance coating methods are expected to propel the Seed Coating Materials Market growth. As an example, recently, a movie coating method has been developed to overcome the disadvantages of other coating methods. On the basis of the product type, polymeric seed coating holds the biggest revenue share in the market and is expected to lead the Seed Coating Materials Market. The increasing demand for polymeric seed coating materials (such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl acrylate, polyurethane, etc.) is also expected to positively impact the growth of the market. For example, in December 2019, MIT researchers developed a protective coating to greatly help seeds grow in currently unusable soil.

Major benefits related to seed coatings such as high shelf life, high binding capacity, high seeding rate, and high crop yield per hectare are expected to boost the demand for seed coating materials, which in turn drives industry growth. For example, in June 2020, Cambridge Crops (a food-tech startup) developed an edible and imperceptible silk coating to replace plastic packaging. In line with the company, the newly developed coating will extend the shelf life of all sorts of perishable foods. However, uncertain weather conditions and stringent government regulations are expected to hamper industry growth.

Moreover, the development of biodegradable seed coatings to reduce environmental pollution is expected to generate significant growth opportunities in the Seed Coating Materials Market. With regards to geography, the seed coating materials market is divided in to six regions, such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Key players active in the market are adopting various strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, and collaboration to improve their market presence, as well as their product portfolio. For example, in August 2018, BASF acquired a selection of Bayer's businesses and assets to strengthen its agricultural solutions portfolio.