High-speed planting methods have fueled demand for seed-flow lubricants such as EZ-Slide®, made by Van Sickle® Paint Manufacturing, a unit of Diamond Vogel®, Orange City, IA.
These formulations improve seed planting by reducing static electricity and/or moisture that causes the seeds to 'bridge'. “Farmers pour this material in with their seeds to coat them so that they don’t clump,” says Tom Hubers, project engineer. “It makes everything plant better.” The products come in three versions: a graphite powder, a talc powder and a talc-graphite blend.