WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CropLife Foundation is releasing a new report, "The Role of Seed Treatment in Modern U.S. Crop Production," containing extensive information on the benefits of seed treatment for growers, consumers and the environment. Crop protection products such as fungicides and insecticides applied as seed treatments are highly effective in protecting against damage from diseases and pests. They also represent an incredibly precise application method, applied directly to the seed surface at low rates as small as milligrams of product per seed. Some of the topics covered in the report include:

Grower benefits – Seed treatments offer effective control against early-season pests and diseases, and reduce the need for additional rescue treatments or replanting.

Added value to seed - Seed treatment protects and contributes value to a large proportion of seed that has been enhanced through agricultural technologies.

Positive environmental impacts – Crop protection products applied as seed treatments can reduce soil surface exposure by up to 90 percent compared to other application methods.

Economic impacts – Through increased protection and greater crop yields, seed treatments helped contribute to nearly $80 billion worth of value to American corn growers in 2011.

WHEN: Friday, December 6, 2013
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST (complimentary breakfast served at 8:30 a.m.)

WHO: Speakers will include:

• Jay Vroom, chair, CropLife Foundation board of directors and president and CEO, CropLife America;
• Andrew W. LaVigne, president and CEO, American Seed Trade Association;
• Tim Burrack, Iowa farmer and vice chair of the board of directors, Truth about Trade & Technology.

WHERE: National Press Club
Zenger Room
529 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20045

To dial in to the event, please call 855-888-1729 no earlier than 8:50 a.m. EST (ID # 21128765).

CropLife Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable and research organization. CropLife Foundation was created in 2001 to promote and advance sustainable agriculture and the environmentally sound use of crop protection products and bioengineered agriculture.

SOURCE CropLife Foundation