ProBio® SafeGuard™ is a certified organic seed treatment for spinach, which focuses on early plant protection even before the plant emerges. Germains Seed Technology developed ProBio® SafeGuard™ as a part of our health technology category.

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

Key Benefits of Probio® SafeGuard™:
- Organic protection against Pythium, which is commonly observed in the Damping Off Complex
- Plant protection 0-14 days after planting- Larger seedlings with increased foliage
- Protect seedling and root development
- Better stand and increased yield potential

Organic spinach growers may experience significant crop loss due to Pythium spp. Damping off is a common problem for organic spinach growers. Soil born fungus 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 may impact product quality.

The key timeframe for Pythium damage to take place is 0 to 14 days after planting. Therefore, 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™.