Urbandale, Iowa and Atlanta, Ind. – Inflexion Point Technologies, LLC (IPT) and Beck’s have announced a collaboration focused on food productivity and farmer profitability. The partnership will equip farmers with the tools to tailor their use of biological seed treatments to agronomic zones and growing conditions.

IPT, co-founded by CEO Steve Smith and President Nick Iwig, is an ag tech company that has developed the industry’s first prescriptive, on-planter seed treatment (POP-ST™) solution.

“We are excited to collaborate with Beck’s to commercialize our POP-ST technology,” Smith said. “Beck’s long dedication to delivering value to the farmer will ensure our POP-ST technology is field tested and farmer approved. By partnering with Beck’s, we will be positioned to optimally serve the needs of our customers.”

As the largest family-owned retail seed company in the United States, Beck’s has seen tremendous growth over the past several decades and has doubled in size in the past six years. Today, Beck’s is the third-largest corn and soybean brand in the United States, offering the world’s most diverse access to genetics and traits.

“In a time where every acre counts to our farmers, we see the POP-ST solution as a unique, tailored approach in delivering additional, high-value seed treatments to optimize farmer’s profitability,” said Scott Beck, president of Beck’s. “When we heard about IPT’s novel approach, and the seed treatments that are being developed, we saw the opportunity to deeply explore the synergies that POP-ST system offers farmers in improving yields.”

The biological seed treatment market is rapidly expanding, and new technology is needed to enable yield-protecting, eco-friendly solutions that optimize return on investment for farmers. Beck’s will run POP-ST field trials starting spring 2022 using ALMACO research planters equipped with IPT’s patented POP-ST technology. The trials will help Beck’s evaluate which seed treatment technologies have commercial potential through the POP-ST solution.

“Our POP-ST technology increases the number of valuable technologies a farmer can apply to seeds compared to current practices,” Iwig added. “POP-ST is the first on-seed application technology enabling farmers to maintain biological seed treatments in their optimal state until they are deployed in real time, delivering farmers the most value.”