A seed refers to an embryonic plant generally enclosed in a protective covering or the outer sheath. The seed formation is the process of reproduction of seeds in plants. This happens with the spermatophytes, angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. Seeds are the evolution of ripened ovule wherein the pollens after fertilization grows in the mother plant. The embryo of the seed is developed using the seed coat and zygote from the characteristic parts of the ovule. Seeds act as an important part in the development of reproduction process as well as success of angiosperms and gymnosperms plants and are relative to other primitive plants including mosses, ferns and liverworts that don’t possess seeds and thus use other means of propagation by themselves. Seeded plants dominate the biological species ranging from forests to grasslands and reproduce in both cold and hot climates. Seeds are generally produced in various related clusters of plants and the way of their reproduction is distinguished from the angiosperms which are enclosed seeds from gymnosperms, also known as naked seeds. Angiosperm seeds are usually produced in a fleshy or hard structure, also known as a fruit which encloses the seed within itself and thus its name. Some fruits possess different layers of fleshy and hard material in themselves. Whereas gymnosperms have no distinct structure developed in order to enclose seeds and, thus this makes their development as naked on the ends of the cones. The production of seeds in the populations of natural plants varies distinctly from place to place in respect to variable weather conditions, internal cycles within the plants and insects and diseases.
Over the past few years, farmers are increasingly inclining towards biological seed treatment methods due to the rising environmental impact as well as hazards associated with health such as chemical agents. Biological agents are extremely researched upon and are being developed in order to enable sustainable agriculture and organic farming. Biologically treated seeds are relatively cost effective and offer benefits related to the environment which makes them more preferable as compared to other chemical agents. Biological agents, generally, are either used in combination or in isolation with other chemicals to enhance and improve their overall efficiency to make their yield potential more efficient. Various seed companies in the global seeds market are focusing on investing in research and development to produce target specific seeds. Such developments in the seed treatment technologies are expected to propel the overall growth of global seeds market over the forecast period.
The global seeds market can be segmented on the basis of crop type, biotech traits and geography. By crop type, the global seeds market can be segmented into oilseed, cereals, fruit and vegetables and others. Oilseed segment can be further sub-segmented into soybean, sunflower, cotton and rapseed. Cereals can be further sub-categorized into maize, rice, wheat, sorghum and others. On the basis of biotech traits, the global seeds market can be segmented into herbicide tolerant seeds, insecticide resistant seeds and other stacked traits. Other stacked traits segment can be further sub-segmented into abiotic stress tolerance, modified product quality, disease resistance and pollination control system. On the basis of geography, the global seeds market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Asia-Pacific.
Key players in the global seeds market are focusing on key market strategies such as innovation in new seed development, collaborations with governmental organizations among others. Some of the key players operating in the global seeds market include Burrus Seed Farm, Bayer Cropscience, Limagrain, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Stine Seed Company, Monsanto, Rallis India Limited, Takii and Co. Ltd., Krishidhan Seeds, Land O’lakes Inc., Hefei Fengle Seed Co. Ltd., Gansu Dunhuang Seed Co. Ltd., Mahyco Seeds Company Limited, E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company and DLF Trifolium among others.
Market Segmentation
Market by Crop Type
· Oilseed
o Soybean
o Sunflower
o Cotton
o Rapseed
· Cereals
o Maize
o Rice
o Wheat
o Sorghum
o Others
· Fruit and vegetables
· Others
Market by Biotech Trait
· Herbicide tolerant seeds
· Insecticide resistant seeds
· Others (abiotic stress tolerance, modified product quality, disease resistance and pollination control system)
Market by Geography
· North America
o US
o Canada
o Mexico
· Europe
o UK
o Germany
o France
o Rest of Europe
· Asia-Pacific
o China
o Japan
o India
o Philippines
o Rest of Asia-Pacific
· Latin America
o Brazil
o Chile
o Rest of Latin America
· Middle East and Africa (MEA)
o South Africa
o Saudi Arabia
o Rest of MEA