THE EPA recently granted Valent BioSciences an experimental-use permit for using abscisic acid (S-ABA) as a seed treatment. Valent discovered that S-ABA will regulate the natural process of dormancy in seeds and buds. If applied as a seed treatment, it has potential to synchronize male parent flowering with female parent receptivity in a hybrid-seed production field.

The product also may be used to induce cold tolerance in germinating seeds for early planting. Valent's CEO Michael Donaldson says that S-ABA is easier to apply than competing products, which need polymer coatings for flowering delay and cold tolerance.

For more information, visit www.valentbiosciences.com.