Innovations in the Polish seed industry

The aim of the operation is to produce improved organizational innovation and improved product innovation in agriculture based on the use of biocomponents, polymers and nanoparticles in the field of seed treatment and seed technology.

• The target group of the innovation is primarily farmers and certified seed producers.
• The innovation can be adopted on a mass scale by large plant breeding and seed-related entities.
• It is also an opportunity to popularize the use of certified seed in our country, as Polish farmers still make too little use of certified seed compared to producers in other countries.

The need for the implementation of the operation is justified by the results of scientific research within the meaning of Article 4. Paragraph 2 of the Law of July 20, 2018 - Law on Higher Education and Science. Scientific research clearly suggests the need to both reduce the fungicides used and their residues in harvested crops and soil. The topic of the emergence of fungicide resistance and the reduction of the scale of this phenomenon is also very often addressed through scientific research topics. What's more, scientific research strongly suggests that the proper use of fungicides can significantly reduce losses during storage of harvested crops, due to much lower disease pressure in this regard.

It is worth mentioning that the European Union's latest strategy, the European Green Deal, places considerable emphasis on reducing the resources of crop protection products used, greening production and reducing environmental impact. The use of new methods to reduce the use of plant protection products is not only suggested by the results of scientific research but also by the strategies of countries and public organizations that rely on this research.

Project activities

The planned operation will require development work, which, according to the definition of the cited law, is an activity involving the acquisition, combination, formation and use of currently available knowledge and skills, including information technology tools or software, for production planning and the design and creation of changed, improved or new products, processes or services.

In this case, by combining current technologies, new solutions will be created for better effective treatment of plants with reduced doses of fungicides using knowledge of production economics and organization, biochemistry, plant physiology and information technology.

The result of the development work will be the creation of a number of innovations that will allow the commercial introduction of seed with new characteristics.

The main benefits of the project

The main benefits are based on the development of improved product innovations related to seed treatment using polymers, nanoparticles and biocomponents: turmeric and dried chili peppers, with the aim of reducing the use of plant protection products in the seed treatment and crop production process.

The main objective is expected to translate into improved economic performance and innovation levels for seed producers. Thanks to the improved organizational innovation, it will be possible to order and create the entire seed treatment process online via a website, allowing the user to easily specify which variety he wants to buy and in what quantity. With this platform, the user would be able to create his own seed characteristics.

Practice summary

The aim of the project is to create the possibility of ordering and creating the entire seed treatment process in online form from the website. This is an improvement of existing solutions and methods thanks to the digitalization of popular processes. The user, in a convenient, intuitive way, can specify what variety he wants to buy, in what quantity and what type of seed dressing, along with comments. This improvement can be particularly important in the case of winter crops, when it is particularly difficult to find the time to set up an order by phone or visit a seed shop due to the busy fieldwork.

• The innovation of this organizational innovation lies in the fact that there is no online platform that allows users to plot their own seed configuration. The user could use the innovative platform to create his own seed characteristics - choose the species, variety, dressing, adjuvant or one of the several innovative additives that are the subject of the operation - all of this information, along with the relevant information on price, order size and delivery conditions, would be sent automatically to Krzysztof Lawrenowicz Farm.
• Seed farms, due to short-term, very high demand, commonly have difficulty handling inquiries from customers, as such inquiries are made by telephone. Thanks to the organizational innovation, product innovations and technological innovations will be able to be ordered for use even before the seed grain is harvested. As a result of this type of innovation, the material production process itself and the technological innovation itself will be able to be ordered by the customer at any stage of the year. The innovation should be verified with the posting of this innovation on the website.
• The operation will also establish a short supply chain with the participation of ten farmers from the Pomeranian region. Within the short supply chain, middlemen will be eliminated and production and organizational innovations will allow farmers to develop in the sales area. Not insignificant are the planned investments that will make joint retail sales possible. The purchased infrastructure will allow joint sales of a variety of assortments, despite the fact that the farms in the operation have so far operated separately. Farmers' experience will help develop digital solutions, while product innovation solutions will allow for marketing empowerment and farmers' territorial expansion while providing important research material for the scientific community participating in the project.

Results achieved

As a result of the operation, significant improvements in organizational and product innovations in agriculture were achieved, based on the use of biocomponents, polymers, and nanoparticles in seed coating technology and seed material development.

• The solutions developed made it possible to produce enhanced seed material, which could potentially demonstrate higher quality and improved performance characteristics.
• Additionally, an organizational solution was created to facilitate the ordering process of seed material by farmers and producers, by streamlining communication and access to information about available products.

The activities carried out indicate the potential applicability of the developed innovations in various agricultural production systems, supporting the modernization of the sector and increasing its competitiveness. The achieved results could contribute to improving the efficiency of farms and the quality of seed material available on the market.

The main benefit of the operation was the development of improved product innovations related to seed treatment using polymers, nanoparticles and biocomponents: turmeric and dried chili peppers, with the aim of reducing the use of plant protection products in the seed treatment and crop production process.

The main objective resulted in improved economic performance and innovation levels for seed producers. Thanks to the improved organizational/technological innovation, it is possible to order and create the entire seed treatment process online via a website, allowing the user to easily specify which variety he wants to buy and in what quantity. With this platform, the user is able to create his own seed characteristics.

Additional comments

A positive aspect of the implemented innovation is to help ensure a stable and sustainable food supply, as well as care for the environment and climate change. The planned operation is very much in line with the Common Agricultural Policy's objectives for competitive, low-carbon, climate-friendly and climate-resilient solutions by focusing on the generation of innovations related to the creation and improvement of technological innovations centered around the optimization of the primary resource consumed in agriculture - plant protection products.

Reducing the use of crop protection products has many positive effects, both for the farmer and the end customer. The planned operation has an impact on ensuring a stable and sustainable food supply through innovations related to climate change mitigation and increased environmental protection. Thanks to the planned solutions, it will be easier to ensure the same level of food supply with less use of plant protection products per unit of yield received.