“A heat-treated seed treatment from Sweden is making waves in the agricultural industry. ThermoSeed, an all-natural, steam-powered seed solution, has become a favorite of farmers looking for an environmentally safe yet effective alternative to chemically treated seeds. The treatment differs from conventional seed solutions that have dominated the industry to date. ThermoSeed utilizes a technique that involves ‘bathing’ seeds with high-temperature steam, which helps eliminate harmful pests and pathogens like fungi, bacteria, and insects while preserving the seeds’ integrity.

The non-chemical pest control method, invented by researcher Kenneth Alness in 2008, was inspired by the age-old technique of treating seeds with hot water, a common practice before the advent of BigAg in the 1950s. Before taking his invention to market, Alness tested his tailor-made steam seed ‘recipes’ for nearly a decade. The initial results proved promising. ThermoSeed-treated crops in Europe saw a 5 to 10 percent higher yield than non-treated crops. In Mali, that number shot to 27%. 

‘We knew we had a new technology that could change agriculture,’ Alness said.

In contrast to pesticides, which take a generalized approach to pest control, ThermoSeed’s technology is individually tailored to each seed batch. This is because different seed types require specific combinations of environmental conditions (e.g., humidity, temperature, and time) to achieve optimal health. This makes the treatment more costly upfront than tried-and-true chemical methods. After roughly seven years, and optimistically shorter as costs and technologies improve, the returns on investment for farmers outweigh the initial costs.”

From C3.