Organic

ProBio Actinovate is a biological fungicide manufactured by Monsanto Bio Ag. that is composed of the Streptomyces lydicus WYEC strain of bacteria. Germains ProBio Actinovate can be used to protect against Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Phytophthora, Fusarium, Sclerotinia, and other root decay fungi.

Species availability:
Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cucumber/Gherkin, Endive, Escarole, Jalapeno, Melon, Onion/Shallot, Pea, Pepper, Pumpkin, Radicchio, Radish, Red Beet, Spinach, Squash, Tomatoes, Watermelon

Available for a wide range of species, ProBio® Emergis® is a certified organic process that helps improve speed of germination, provides a more uniform emergence, and promotes earlier and stronger plant establishment.

Species availability:
Arugula, Carrot, Endive, Escarole, Lettuce, Onion/Shallot, Parsley, Radicchio

ProBio gopure enhance is an upgraded certified organic disinfection process for Swiss chard that effectively reduces Bacterial Leaf Spot (Pseudomonas spp.) plus enhances multi-embryo genetics to maximize germination, improve yield, and reduce labor.

Key benefits:

• Increases speed of emergence
• Ideal for multi-embryo Swiss chard
• Improves uniformity and early seedling vigor
• Reduces Bacterial Leaf Spot < 350 CFU/ml
  extract obtained from a 30,000 seed sample
• No impact on shelf life for a minimum of six months
• Validated certified 3^rd party pathology testing post-treatment
• Microplastic free

Post-harvest Swiss chard volunteers require more labor to weed and may contaminate harvest.

Trial summary

Grower feedback

All three third-party trials experienced a 20% – 30% improvement in emergence, significantly reduced pressure of Bacterial Leaf Spot, and yield increase.

In addition, growers reported the following benefits:

• Improves uniformity in plant size
• 3-5 days early emergence vs. ProBio gopure
• Beneficial for conventional crops as well as organic
• Dense canopy development helps to out-compete weeds
• Helps to reduce post-harvest volunteers that drive up weed control labor costs
• May decrease planting rate due to improved germination of multi-germ seed
• Reduces post-harvest Swiss chard volunteers in following crop rotation

Standard ProBio gopure disinfection is an excellent option for baby leaf production

ProBio gopure enhance is an upgraded disinfection process that helps crops develop a dense uniform canopy.

Species availability:
Swiss chard

ProBio gopure is an organic seed disinfection process that effectively removes seed-borne pathogens like Pseudomonas spp. from Swiss chard, beet, coriander, and kale seeds, and Xanthomonas spp. from carrot and Brassica seeds.

Key benefits:

• Significantly reduces Pseudomonas spp. and Xanthomonas spp.
• Certified third-party pathology and germination testing for quality assurance
• Certified organic process that disinfects seed without impacting shelf life or germination
• Helps to reduce unknown transfer of pathogenic organisms onto other crops and into the field
• Removal of seed-borne pathogens improves overall crop health, helping to optimize yield
• Microplastic free

Innovative organic seed disinfection

Discovery of ProBio gopure

The idea for ProBio gopure started with a single customer inquiry. The customer had 100,000 pounds of Swiss chard seed that was contaminated with a seed-borne bacterial disease. Rather than discard or sell the seed at a reduced cost, the customer decided to contact Germains Seed Technology for a solution. Germains’ Sales and R&D Teams collaborated with the customer and worked in partnership to formulate an effective certified organic disinfection process known today as ProBio gopure.

Success leads to crop diversification

Since 2015, Germains has successfully disinfected millions of pounds of contaminated seed with our proprietary organic seed disinfection process. Due to the growing demand for disease-free seed, Germains continues to modify the disinfection process to remove a broader range of seed-borne pathogens, such as Xanthomonas campestris pv. carotae from carrot seed. Far superior to a standard hot water treatment, ProBio gopure  is a cost-effective certified organic process that uses proprietary methods to effectively disinfect seeds without impacting shelf life and/or germination.

Remove Seed-Borne Pathogens with ProBio gopure | Bacterial Leaf Spot Solution

* Please note that ProBio gopure for Kale requires a seed count of 125,000 seeds per lb for processing.

Organic seed disinfection results

We deliver valuable and sustainable results for long-term success. We earn our customers’ trust by validating our performance claims while doing what we know to be ethically right – not just what is allowed.

3rd-Party lab results show a significant reduction in seed-borne pathogens

ProBio gopure – Organic seed disinfection solution for an industry challenge

When producing baby leaf crops, bacterial leaf spot infestations can result in a complete crop loss. Harvesting clean, organic, pathogen-free seed is a challenge for seed producers and growers. Short of discarding the seed or accepting a decline in harvest quality, organic producers have few viable options to recover their crop until now: ProBio gopure.

Species availability:
Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cilantro (Coriander), Kale, Red Beet, Swiss chard, Turnip

Mycostop, manufactured by Verdera OY, is a concentrated mixture of dried spores and mycelium ray fungus, Streptomyces griseoviridis Strain K61. Germains ProBio Mycostop can be used to protect against soil pathogens such as Pythium, Fusarium, and Phomopsis. ProBio Mycostop has shown suppression of Botrytis grey mold and root rots such as Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia.

Mycostop® is registered by Verdera OY.

Species availability:
Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leek, Lettuce, Onion/Shallot, Radish, Spinach, Tomatoes

Preferred by lettuce organic growers in the southwest desert region, ProBio oxykote is a tan, heavy seed pellet that splits once irrigated. Offering excellent plantability and uniform placement, oxykote seed pellets remain in place after irrigating the field.

Species availability:
Lettuce

Popular amongst leafy organic vegetable growers in California and other Pacific Northwest regions, ProBio® Propellet® Heavy is a versatile white, heavy, melting seed pellet that allows rapid oxygen uptake.

Species availability:
Endive, Escarole, Lettuce, Radicchio

ProBio® Propellet® Light, otherwise know as PPL, is a high-quality lightweight certified organic seed pellet that is popular among organic lettuce growers located along California’s central coast and the Salinas Valley region. PPL is also available for onions and other leafy vegetable crops.

Species availability:
Beets, Carrot, Celery, Endive, Escarole, Lettuce, Onion/Shallot, Radicchio, Red Beet, Tomatoes

ProBio proflo precise is a heavy, certified organic precision encrustment, designed to improve singulation and improve the seed’s flow through a vacuum seeder. ProBio proflo precise is commonly used with Spider Vacuum Planters when planting baby leaf lettuce that is designed to reduce wear on the planter’s sponges. When using a vacuum precision planter, this seed treatment enables growers to plant 2.5 M per acre vs 4M raw seeds per acre.

Species availability:
Lettuce, Onion/Shallot

ProBio SafeGuard is a certified organic seed treatment for spinach that focuses on early plant protection even before the plant emerges. By providing pre-emergence protection, ProBio SafeGuard establishes a barrier around the emerging plant and developing root system, helping to protect spinach plants during germination until the first true leaf stage.

Key benefits

• Organic protection against Pythium
• Plant protection 0-14 days after planting
• Larger seedlings with increased foliage
• Protection for seedling and root development
• Better stand and increased yield potential
• Microplastic free

ProBio SafeGuard vs Untreated

Situation for growers

Organic spinach growers may experience significant crop loss due to Pythium spp. Damping-off is a common problem for organic spinach growers. Soil-borne fungi such as Rhizoctinia, Pythium, Phytophthora, and Fusarium are all diseases that cause symptoms of “damping off,” which is characterized by the rotting of plant stems below ground and in some cases in the plant stems above ground. The only options for organic growers are to plant resistant spinach varieties and implement cultural controls. At this time there are no known spinach varieties with 100% resistance to Pythium. Pythium may cause major crop losses of 10% to 40%, resulting in financial losses due to lost yield, disruptions in the supply chain, and impacts on product quality.

Solution – organic seed treatment for Pythium

The key timeframe for Pythium damage to take place is 0 to 14 days after planting. Therefore, the Germains R&D Team identified that there may be a viable seed treatment solution to protect plants upon emergence and within the first stages of growth. By providing pre-emergence protection, Germains has developed a new innovative certified organic seed technology to protect spinach from Pythium upon emergence; ProBio SafeGuard.

Poor emergence due to Pythium

Overview

ProBio SafeGuard is a multi-component ASCO certified organic seed treatment for spinach that establishes a barrier around the spinach plant’s emerging root system so that it may overcome root colonization by soil-borne fungi such as Pythium. ProBio SafeGuard is a non-biological organic seed treatment that contains GST-1000, licensed exclusively to Germains Seed Technology, has no impact on the seed quality, and has a minimum year shelf life.

ProBio SafeGuard is protected under Patent No.  62/450,020.

Species availability:
Spinach

T-22 is a specific strain of Tricodermia formulation developed by Bioworks, Inc. T-22 is a concentrated mixture of dried spores of a specialized hybrid strain of Trichoderma harzarium Rifai Strain T-22. Germains ProBio T-22 provides protection against plant root pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Clyindrocladium, and Thielaviopsis.

Species availability:
Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cucumber/Gherkin, Endive, Escarole, Jalapeno, Kale, Melon, Onion/Shallot, Parsley, Pea, Pepper, Pumpkin, Radicchio, Radish, Red Beet, Spinach, Squash, Swiss chard, Tomatoes, Watermelon