Joe Kuznia: Delivering Seedcare Solutions

How can lessons from a potato field lead to improved seed treatments? That’s the magic of The Syngenta Seedcare Institute^™ for North America and its skilled team members in Stanton, Minnesota.

“I put on my farmer’s hat to view things through the growers’ eyes,” says Joe Kuznia, a Syngenta Seedcare platform lead who has worked at Syngenta for 24 years. “Solving challenges early on can boost the crop’s yield potential, which boosts the growers’ income potential.”

When Kuznia worked in the Red River Valley, he observed that spraying the edge of a potato field could slow down the migration of Colorado potato beetles. This practice sometimes eliminated the need to spray entire fields multiple times. “Farmers were thrilled, because this saved them a big chunk of change,” says Kuznia, who also modified sprayers for greater accuracy in sugarbeet fields.

“Joe speaks their language. He embodies what the institute represents: a passion for problem-solving and a relentless commitment to develop the best seed treatments and service in the industry.”

Kuznia brings this same solutions-oriented mindset to Syngenta Seedcare, from the development of treatment recipes to accurate seed coat application. He provides hands-on training for retailers who come to Stanton for basic and advanced seed treatment classes.

“Joe speaks their language,” says Ravi Ramachandran, Ph.D., head of the SCI for North America. “He embodies what the institute represents: a passion for problem-solving and a relentless commitment to develop the best seed treatments and service in the industry.”

Finding new ways to optimize seed treatments in real-world settings motivates Kuznia and his colleagues in Stanton. “I want to empower retailers and growers to succeed with Syngenta Seedcare,” he says.