Seed Coating: Specialty Applications

Our Selvol™ polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) resin protects seeds until the environment offers ideal germination conditions. This water-soluble coating keeps seeds safe and ensures they don’t germinate until they reach the ideal temperature and moisture conditions.

Serving as both a seed coating and a fertilizer binder, Selvol PVOH controls dosing and helps with mechanical planting operations because of its slick, nonsticky surface.

With cotton seeds, Selvol PVOH smooths lint and prevents seed tangling. This reduces the need for mechanical delinting and eliminates acid delinting, all while keeping seeds safe, engineering the dosage and assisting planting.

Recipe for Success

You must prepare Selvol PVOH properly before use to realize its benefits as a seed coating. Our simple, five-step cooking procedure (solution preparation) assures proper dissolution and optimal performance. Plus, we offer ready-to-use solutions for customers with limited equipment.

Here’s our recommended starting formulation:

• Use a 4% solution of Selvol PVOH 203, 205, 523 or 540 in water.
  • Note: The ultimate grade and concentration you choose depend on the processing path.
• Place additives per your design.
• Apply the seed coating via the following methods or others:
  • Stir-in
  • Spray dryer
  • Fluidized bed
  • Drum coater
• Dry the seeds via the following methods or others:
  • Convection oven
  • Tumble dryer
• Coat with a light layer of talc if sticky.

Ready-to-Use Coating Available

If you’re looking for a ready-to-use seed coating, SEKISUI Specialty Chemicals offers Selvol PVOH solutions. A solution omits the dissolution step and offers a number of advantages:

• Faster coating
• Better solution consistency
• Lower energy and processing costs (no cooking required)

Please contact us for more information or to request samples.