An agronomist in southern Manitoba says its a good idea for farmers to treat their seed at the best of times.

Art Kehler, of GJ Chemical in Altona, says that rings especially true this year after the high amount of fusarium that was out in the fields last year.

He says seed treatments have many benefits.

Art Kehler

"Your've got your early diseases, your cold soil diseases, your Pythium, your fusarium," explained Kehler. "There's a lot of misconception out there, once the soils get warmer, that we don't need the seed treatments. Not for those two diseases we don't, but when the soils get warmer, the Rhizoctonia becomes more prevalent, so we're still guarding against that one."

Kehler says there has been some recent improvements they're noticing in the seed treatments.

"They have been increasing the percentages of certain actives in there, and what they're targeting is more towards the Rhizoctonia, which comes later and also some of the Phytophthora," he explained.

Most of the canola and corn seed that is sold by GJ Chemical comes pre-treated, while they have the ability to custom treat other types of seeds such as wheat, barley and oats.