Is Treated Seed the Same as GMO Seed?

When purchasing seed, you may see terms like treated or GMO (genetically modified organism). While both improve crop performance, they mean very different things.

Treated Seed

Treated seed has been coated or infused with protectants before planting. These coatings help protect young seedlings when they are most vulnerable.

Common treatments include:

Seed treatments can improve germination and reduce the need for early pesticide sprays, but their protection only lasts for a few weeks.

GMO Seed

GMO seed has been genetically engineered at the DNA level to provide new traits that are built into the plant. Unlike treated seed, the protection or advantage lasts for the plant’s entire life.

Examples include:

GMO crops are strictly regulated for safety and effectiveness before being released to the market. Farmers who purchase GMO seed usually cannot save it for replanting due to patent protections.

GMO Vegetable Seed at Holmes Seed

There’s a lot of confusion about GMO vegetable seed, so we like to keep things clear and honest. At Holmes Seed, the only GMO vegetable we carry is sweet corn, which is also the only GMO vegetable you’re likely to find available for fresh market growers.

While a few rare exceptions exist, such as a recently introduced GMO tomato and some older transgenic squash varieties, these are not common in today’s marketplace and are rarely seen in typical vegetable production. Most vegetables have no GMO counterparts at all. Many crops you see highlighted as "Non-GMO" at the grocery store, for example, have never had a GMO version to begin with.

If you ever have any questions or just want to confirm whether something is GMO, please give us a call and we would be happy to help.

Key Takeaways

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