Wolf Sementes has unveiled Mavuno Grafitek®, a graphite-coated version of its Brachiaria hybrid (Urochloa brizantha x U. ruziziensis cv. Mixe Drwn 12), targeting producers seeking enhanced planting precision and uniformity, particularly those utilizing drone seeding systems or previously applying graphite manually to bare seed.
The treatment ensures superior plantability and more uniform flow through seeding equipment, while maintaining high levels of purity and preserving the genetic integrity that established the hybrid as a field performance reference. The coating is 100% natural without polymers, contributing to cleaner, more efficient seeding operations, according to the company.
Mavuno has demonstrated up to 50% greater average daily gain (ADG), 21% crude protein content, and stocking rate capacity reaching 6 animal units per hectare. The Grafitek version maintains all characteristics that consolidated the hybrid's reputation for significantly increasing meat and milk production per area with favorable cost-benefit ratios.
Drone Application Technology Drives Product Development
Tiago Pontes, Technical Manager at Wolf Sementes, positioned the launch as responding to a growing agribusiness trend: the adoption of drones for precision planting. "The advance of drones in the field is already a reality, and graphite-coated seeds play a fundamental role in this process. The coating guarantees more uniform flow, improves distribution, and contributes to higher germination rates," Pontes said.
For brachiaria management, drone use enables seeding in difficult-access areas, including sloped terrain, while permitting sowing over standing soybean crops—optimizing planting windows and ensuring improved soil coverage. "All this with zero compaction and excellent seeding rate control," Pontes explained.
Graphite coating provides multiple functional benefits relevant to both conventional and aerial seeding systems. The coating increases seed mass and uniformity, reducing bridging and improving metering precision in mechanical seeders. The lubricity properties facilitate flow through distribution systems, while the dark color enhances visibility for operators monitoring coverage patterns.
For drone applications specifically, graphite coating addresses challenges associated with distributing lightweight, irregularly shaped forage grass seeds through centrifugal or pneumatic broadcast mechanisms. Enhanced flowability and mass uniformity improve distribution consistency and reduce the coefficient of variation in seed placement—factors directly affecting stand establishment and pasture uniformity.
Natural Coating Addresses Polymer Concerns
The polymer-free formulation distinguishes Mavuno Grafitek from other competing seed coating technologies that incorporate synthetic polymers as binders or film-forming agents. While polymers can provide protective benefits and enable the incorporation of seed treatment active ingredients, they have attracted scrutiny regarding environmental persistence and potential effects on soil microbial communities.
Natural graphite-based coatings offer functional benefits without these concerns, though they may provide less capacity for binding additional seed treatment products, compared to polymer matrix systems. The coating approach appears optimized for physical flow and handling properties, rather than serving as a carrier for biological or chemical seed treatments.
Portfolio Expansion Strategy
Mavuno Grafitek integrates Wolf Sementes' portfolio expansion strategy, offering producers additional options for adapting planting operations to specific operational conditions. The Mavuno line now includes High Purity Seed VC 76, VC 51, Encrusted, and Grafitek versions—a product array addressing different technology levels, production environments, and management strategies.
Mavuno Grafitek enters the market in its launch phase with special commercial conditions, indicating promotional pricing or availability designed to stimulate trial and adoption among target customer segments.
Brazil's forage seed market has grown alongside expanding beef and dairy cattle operations, with brachiaria species and hybrids dominating the establishment of tropical pastures and renovation. Productivity-focused producers increasingly seek improved cultivars delivering superior animal performance, persistence under grazing pressure, and compatibility with intensive management systems.
The Mavuno hybrid's U. brizantha x U. ruziziensis parentage combines drought tolerance and persistence characteristics of U. brizantha with the rapid establishment and nutritional quality attributes of U. ruziziensis—traits valued in both establishment year performance and long-term stand productivity.
Drone seeding technology adoption in Brazilian agriculture extends beyond row crop applications to pasture establishment and renovation scenarios in which conventional ground equipment faces operational challenges including wet soil conditions, rough terrain, or timing constraints for aerial overseeding into standing crops.
(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)
