Agricultural technology continues to evolve. From drones and farming robots to drought-resistant crops and minichromosomes, agritech is expected to reach $54 billion in value by 2029. This is more than double the market value in 2023.
Advanced fluorescent pigments can help your agricultural firm stay at the forefront of your customers’ minds. Keep reading our guide to custom products for seed coatings, security, and product identification.
Fluorescent Pigments for Seed Coatings
Fluorescent pigments for seed coatings offer a number of advantages to customers.
Seed Identification
There are thousands of different kinds of seeds used in agriculture, with more than 2,500 different types of soybeans alone. A quick way to identify the seeds you have on hand comes from fluorescence.
Fluorescent pigments have transformed agriculture by allowing real-time tracking of pesticide and insecticide applications. When mixed with sprays, these UV-reactive markers can be illuminated with UV lights. This ensures accurate coverage, reducing environmental risk through overuse. This method helps verify treatment applications, creating trust between service providers and clients.
Fluorescent pigments can coat batches of seeds so you can easily identify them, even after they leave bulk bags. Consider combining pigments on seeds that match a fluorescent pigment on a product label. This provides a cohesive and secure way to track shipments.
The most common seeds with fluorescent pigments include:
- Crops: Corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, and grains.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and lettuce.
- Forage crops: Alfalfa, clover, and ryegrass.
- Genetically modified crops (GMOs) to distinguish between varieties
Measuring Seed Dispersal for Precision Farming
Farmers and researchers continually look for ways to improve crop yields. Fluorescent pigments can help identify seed dispersal patterns to identify specific seed types or treatments after planting. The goal is to improve planting accuracy and facilitate the monitoring of crops as they establish themselves.
This is particularly useful if a farmer or researcher plants two varieties of the same crops to test which ones are more efficient. Coatings also help identify which seeds should be planted in various parts of the field based on soil type and fertility.
Improved Photosynthesis for Vertical Farms
A relatively new application, as noted in 2021, is a leaf-spraying fluorescent polymeric coating. These types of coatings enhance photosynthesis by regulating the quality of light that strikes the surface of the plant. The idea is to make photosynthesis more efficient. This advance can lead to higher yields for hydroponics and vertical farming. Places with food scarcity and urban centers where land for agriculture is scarce stand to benefit the most from this advanced type of fluorescent coating.
Fluorescent Pigments to Identify Agricultural Products
Fluorescent pigments can identify agricultural compounds and fertilizers. Similar to seeds, farmers need to know which type of fertilizer or insecticide they are about to disperse on their fields.
Advanced fluorescent pigments can identify various agricultural products, such as:
- Fertilizers are used to track application coverage and verify uniform distribution.
- Seed treatments and pesticides to ensure proper dispersal.
- Biological products and beneficial microbes, like Rhizobium bacteria for legumes, to verify the quality of the treatment.
Coatings can do more than identify substances on the seeds at the time of use. They can also be a part of track-and-trace technology so that logistics companies and warehouses can properly identify products in transit to the end user.
The SC-25 Pigment From Angstrom Technologies, Inc.
Fluorescent pigments have changed the way farmers and producers track seeds, plants, and crops. Our SC-25 product is an organic fluorescent pigment that can be used as a variant for seed coating.
EPA-Approved for Safety
The best part of SC-25? It’s approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ensuring it means strict safety and environmental standards. This approval means growers and processors can use it with confidence. It’s safe for people and the environment, and a differentiator for your business.
Key Benefits of SC-25
- Clear, reliable tracking of agricultural products
- Reduces contamination and improves quality control
- EPA-approved for safe use in agriculture
With the SC-25 fluorescent pigment, you can enjoy efficient, transparent agricultural operations from farm to market.
How Fluorescent Pigments Save Agriculture Companies and Farmers Money
Fluorescent pigments used in agriculture are specialized, UV-reactive materials that ensure precision and traceability. They’re designed to resist degradation from environmental factors. This makes them a cost-effective option that yields long-term savings. Here’s how:
- Improved quality control when monitoring the dispersal of products such as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or inoculants. That way, farmers don’t waste products and can accurately track if enough product has been dispersed to protect their crops.
- Optimizing seed use during planting times so there isn’t overseeding or underseeding a particular area. Farmers can save money on seed stocks.
- Counterfeit prevention and brand protection are important, considering fake seeds can cost farmers up to two-thirds of their crops.
Talk to Angstrom Technologies, Inc. About Advanced Fluorescent Pigments
Angstrom Technologies, Inc. is at the forefront of advanced fluorescent pigments. Contact us or call 859-282-0020 to start the conversation about what we can do for your agricultural company.
