Polyester as seed binder and seed treatment composition comprising the same

Abstract

The present invention provides use of a polyester as a binder, in particular for seed treatment or seeds. In addition, the present invention further provide the use of a binder polyester in seed treatment compositions, a seed treatment composition comprising the polyester, a method of treating a seed with such composition and a seed coated with the same.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides use of a polyester, which has favorable treating properties to seeds, as a binder. In addition, the present invention further provides the use of a binder polyester in seed treatment compositions, a seed treatment composition comprising the binder polyester and a seed coated with the same. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Commonly, seeds are treated before sowing to incoporate active ingredients, such as plant protection products to enhance plant growth and crop yield. During transportation and sowing, coated seeds are submitted to different mechanical stresses that could damage its coating and result in the loss of active ingredients. These losses would trigger a release of such active ingredients in the environment, which could have a detrimental impact, notably on human health. On top of that, these losses will decrease the resulting efficacy of the active ingredient for the seed. The mechanical constraints applied to the seeds before sowing also negatively impacts the visual appearance of treated seeds. Flowability is another key parameter regarding treated seeds, since such seeds need to demonstrate high flowability to prevent clogging at the industrial scale and to ensure a perfect plantability in the fields. Seed treatment compositions applied on seeds typically include pesticide products for the protection of the seeds. It is well known that pesticide products applied as a seed treatment negatively impact the flowability and plantability of treated seeds. The use of binders during seed treatment, not only adheres the coating to the surface of the seed, but also prevents damages in the structure of seeds treated. Nowadays, key components used in seed treatment compositions are synthetic polymeric binders with a poor biodegradability profile such as styrene-acrylic or styrene-butadiene copolymers. However, there is an increasing demand in most areas for compounds that are readily or inherently biodegradable. This is also the case within the agrochemical field and notably for seed treatment composition, where polymeric binders with good efficacy and environmental profile are being sought, particularly to replace such non-biodegradable polymeric binders. In this way, bio-based binders such as polysaccharides were considered more recently but their performances are not matching the ones of the current benchmarks. So far, it is still desirable to develop new polymeric binders having a good environmental profile combined with excellent performances in application, particularly for seed treatment. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, it is provided use as a binder, in particular for seed treatment or seeds, of a polyester prepared from at least one monomer composition comprising: (a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof; (b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units; (c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected from c1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and, c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P). The polyester can comprise the following repeating units (I) and (II): wherein Ri, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from H or Ci-Cs alkyl; A is selected from C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic group or aromatic group; and n and m is a number ranging from 1 to 200. In another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a process of synthesizing the polyester described above. In still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided the use, as a binder, of a polyester prepared from at least one monomer composition comprising: (a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof; (b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units; (c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected from c1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and, c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P), in seed treatment compositions. In still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a seed treatment composition comprising the polyester of the present invention, one or more additives, and optionally, one or more biologically active ingredients. Seed treatments are used on almost every commercial crop on the market today. In still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided the use, as a binder, of a polyester prepared from at least one monomer composition comprising: (a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof; (b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units; (c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected from c1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and, c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P), in method of treating seeds. In still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method of treating seeds, the method comprising the step: treating seeds with the seed treatment composition as defined in the invention. It has been surprisingly noted that seeds treated with the treatment compositions containing the polyester according to the invention have not only excellent performances in terms of dust reduction and resistance to abrasion, but also improved flowability. I n still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method for preparing a seed treatment composition, wherein the method comprises the following steps: (i) Adding the polyester of the present invention, wherein the polyester is present in an amount of from 1.0 wt.% to 60 wt.% with respect to the total weight of the seed treatment composition; (ii) Adding one or more additives; (iii) Optionally adding one or more biologically active ingredients; and, (iv) Adding water. In still yet another aspect of the present invention, it is provided the use of the treatment composition of the present invention containing the polyester as described above for reducing the dust emission and improving the resistance to abrasion and the flowability of the treated seeds. In a final aspect of the present invention, it is provided a seed treated with the composition according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Throughout the description, including the claims, the term "comprising one" or “comprising a" should be understood as being synonymous with the term "comprising at least one", unless otherwise specified. The terms "between" and “from ... to...” should be understood as being inclusive of the limits. The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are used to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. It should be noted that in specifying any range of concentration, weight ratio or amount, any particular upper concentration, weight ratio or amount can be associated with any particular lower concentration, weight ratio or amount, respectively. As used herein, the term "alkyl" means a saturated hydrocarbon radical, which may be straight, branched or cyclic, such as, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, pentyl, n-hexyl, cyclohexyl. As used herein, the term “derivative” means an ester, ether, diester, diether or any other derivatives from a specific molecule or compound which contains functional groups able of being derivatizes, for instance but not limited to an acid group. The term ’’lower diester” should be understood as diesters containing C1 to C4 carbon chains derived from a specific molecule or compound which can be derivatized to be transformed in a diester. The term “dust reduction” is intended to denote a parameter able to determine if active ingredients remain on the seed, in an even layer, until the seed is in the soil after planting. Low dust levels are key to successful seed treatment because it allows for better adhesion of the product on the seed and no coating abrasion. “Dust reduction” is measured with a Heubach dustmeter equipment. The principle of Heubach test is the following: the treated seeds are submitted to a mechanical stress inside a rotating drum. The drum is connected to a glass bottle and a filter unit. A vacuum pump creates a flow of air through the rotating drum, the bottle and the filter support unit. Thanks to this air flow, the “heavy” particles are collected in the bottle while the fine particles are deposited on the filter. The Heubach dust value is calculated as the ratio of the weight difference of the filter unit after and before the test and the weight of treated seeds. The term “resistance to abrasion” is intended to denote the risk of abrasion losses from film-coated seeds. The resistance to abrasion of treated seeds is visually evaluated after the application of a strong mechanical stress on treated seeds The term “flowable” is intended to denote coated seeds exhibiting “good flowability”, that is to say the ability of the seeds to seamlessly flow within the seed metering system. Flowability is measured with a texturometer apparatus. A probe is immersed in a beaker filled with the treated seeds, the force required to extract the probe from the seeds is measured. This force measured during the ascent determines the capacity of the seeds to flow. The lower is the force, the higher is the flowability of the treated seeds. As used herein, the terms “polyacid” or “polycarboxylic acid” are intended to be synonymous and to denote organic carboxylic acid molecules having two or more carboxyl groups in the compound structure. In addition, the terms “diacid” or “dicarboxylic acid” are used to denote organic carboxylic acid molecules having two carboxyl groups in the compound structure. The term “binder” is intended to denote substances responsible for adhesion of the filler materials onto the seeds during seed treatment. Seed binder polyester In one aspect of the present invention, it is provided use of a polyester as a binder, in particular for seed treatment or seeds. The polyester can be prepared from a monomer composition comprising: (a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof; (b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units; (c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected from c1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and, c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or the derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P). The sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) has at least one sulphonic acid group, preferably in the form of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal (preferably sodium) sulphonate, and two acidic functional groups or acidic functional group equivalents (that is to say an anhydride functional group or two ester functional groups) attached to one or a number of aromatic rings, when aromatic dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides or their diesters are involved, or to the aliphatic chain when aliphatic dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides or their alkyl diesters are involved. Among the sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomers (SA), there may be mentioned aromatic sulphonated dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides or lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diesters such as sulphoisophthalic or lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diesters, sulfoitaconic acid or lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diesters, sulphoterephthalic or lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diesters, sulpho-ortho-phthalic acids or anhydrides, 4-sulpho-2,7-naphthalenedicarboxylic acids or anhydrides, sulpho-4,4’-bis(hydroxycarbonyl)diphenyl sulphones, sulphodiphenyldicarboxylic acids or anhydrides, sulpho-4,4’-bis(hydroxycarbonyl)diphenylmethanes, sulpho-5-phenoxyisophthalic acids or anhydrides or their lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diesters and sulphonated aliphatic sulphonated dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides such as sulfoitaconic acid, sulphosuccinic acids or anhydrides or their lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diester. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomers (SA) are selected from sulphoisophthalic or lower diesters, sulfoitaconic acid or lower diesters, sulphoterephthalic or lower diesters, sulphoortho-phthalic acids or anhydrides, 4-sulpho-2,7-naphthalenedicarboxylic acids or anhydrides, sulpho-4,4’-bis(hydroxycarbonyl)diphenyl sulphones, sulphodiphenyldicarboxylic acids or anhydrides, sulpho-4,4’- bis(hydroxycarbonyl)diphenylmethanes, sulpho-5-phenoxyisophthalic acids or anhydrides, sulphosuccinic acids or anhydrides or lower diesters thereof. Preferably, the sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomers (SA) are selected from sulphoisophthalic, sulfoitaconic acid, sulphoterephthalic, sulpho-ortho-phthalic acids or anhydrides or lower diesters thereof. The polyhydric polyol (P) used in the present invention is at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units; preferably used is ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol and / or glycerol. In one embodiment of the present invention, the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) are consisted of C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid, C2-C12 aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, terephthalic acid, trimesic acid, isophthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acids and furan polycarboxylic acids or diesters derivatives thereof. Particularly, suitable C5-C10 cycloaliphatic acids include 1,4 cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, 1,2 cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid and 1,1 cyclobutanedicarboxylic acid. In another particular embodiment, suitable C2-C12 aliphatic dicarboxylic acids include succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, trimethyladipic acid, pimelicacid, azelaic acid, sebacicacid, suberic acid, itaconic acid and maleic acid. In the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) there may additionally be present minor quantities of aromatic polyacids other than those mentioned above, such as orthophthalic acid, anthracene, 1,8-naphthalene, 1,4-naphthalene and biphenyl dicarboxylic acids or aliphatic diacids such as adipic, glutaric, succinic, trimethyladipic, pimelic, azelaic, sebacic, suberic, itaconic and maleic acids, etc. in the form of acid, anhydride or lower (methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl) diesters. The prepolymer c2) used in the present invention is prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or the derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P). In one embodiment of the present invention, the prepolymer c2) is polyethylene ester of C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid which can be prepared from C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid, ethylene glycol and / or diethylene glycol. Preferably, the C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid is 1,4 cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid. In another embodiment of the present invention, the prepolymer c2) is polyethylene trimesic acid ester, which can be prepared from trimesic acid, ethylene glycol and / or diethylene glycol. In still another embodiment of the present invention, the prepolymer c2) is polyethylene terephthalate, which can be prepared from terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, ethylene glycol and / or diethylene glycol. Preferably the prepolymer c2) has an intrinsic viscosity range between 0.1 to 0.9 dL / g determined according to ASTM method D-4603 and has a maximum melting point of 250 °C. In still yet another embodiment of the present invention, the polyester comprises the following repeating units (I) and (II): wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from H or C1-C8 alkyl; A is selected from C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic group or aromatic group; and n and m is a number ranging from 1 to 200. In one embodiment of the present invention, one of R1 and R2 is selected from H, the other is selected from H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl, preferably hydrogen. In one embodiment of the present invention, the polyester further comprises the repeating units (III) wherein Rs and Rs are independently selected from H or Ci-Cs alkyl; R? and Rs are independently selected from H or COOH, and p is a number ranging from 0 to 200. The seed binder polyester of the present invention can be synthesized by polycondensation of monomers (a), (b), (c1) and / or (c2), preferably in presence of a catalyst. This catalyst is preferably a hydrolysis-stable catalyst, more preferably chosen from chelates of titanium salts or of zirconium salts derived from ethanol amines, separately and / or mixtures or solutions thereof. In particular, Titanium(IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide gives good results. This compound is available as a 80wt% solution in isopropanol under the brand name Tyzor® TE. The polycondensation according to the invention is preferably initiated on the mixture of all monomers (a) to (c) i.e. monomers (a), (b), (c1) and / or (c2) are first mixed and then, reacted by polycondensation, preferably by raising temperature and / or reducing pressure. Alternatively, the polycondensation can be initiated on a mixture of only some of the monomers, the others being introduced in a delayed manner. Still another possibility is to prepare 2 or more prepolymers by polycondensation and then, to proceed to transesterification of the prepolymers. In a preferred embodiment, the procedure for the preparation of the polyesters according to the invention is as follows. First, all the monomers are mixed in a reaction vessel and the mixture is heated from about 110 °C to 200 °C, preferably from 120 °C to 180 °C under nitrogen blanket. The reaction mixture is then preferably maintained at the same temperature for 30 to 240 minutes, preferably for 60 to 180 minutes under agitation. Subsequently, the reaction temperature is preferably raised to 200 °C and gradually a reduced pressure of 50 to 300 mbar, preferably of 100 to 200 mbar is achieved; under this condition ethylene glycol starts distilling and is preferably collected in a receiver. The reaction temperature is then preferably increased to between about 210 °C and 250 °C under reduced pressure. As the reaction achieves the desired temperature, the pressure is then preferably further reduced to about 10 mbar to 50 mbar, preferably to about 20 to 40 mbar. The reaction is then preferably maintained for 30 to 240 minutes, preferably for 60 to 180 minutes in this condition after which the polymer can be discharged in hot condition. Advantageously, the polyester of the invention is biodegradable. The term biodegradable means when a compound / product or any article is naturally degrade, “in particular by living microorganisms”, and returns to nature without having a harmful impact on the environment. As used herein, biodegradability can be measured according to the inherent biodegradability test OECD 302, and in particular the compound / product is considered biodegradable under OECD 302B. Specifically, OECD 302B provides testing guidelines for determining whether a chemical substance is considered biodegradable, including inherently biodegradable. The test method OECD 302B refers to this method and the biodegradability is calculated based on DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) or COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). So, for example, in accordance with the above and as used herein, if at least 70% of a material is biodegradable within 28 days, which is the time period tested, then this material is considered to be ultimately biodegradable. Seed treatment compositions In another aspect of the invention, it is provided the use, as a binder, of the polyester as described above in seed treatment compositions. In still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a seed treatment composition comprising: (I) the polyester used as a binder as defined above; (II) one or more additives; and (III) optionally one or more biologically active ingredients. As used herein, the terms "seed treatment composition" is intended to cover compositions that comprises biologically active ingredients for seed treatment, but also compositions not containing active ingredients such as seed coating compositions. When a biologically active ingredient is used, the amount of the biologically active ingredient applied, of course, generally depends on the type of active ingredient and the type of seed used. Usually, however, the amount of one or more active ingredients is in the range of about 0.001-200 g per kg of the seed. The person skilled in the art is able to determine suitable amounts of active ingredient depending on the active ingredient and the type of seed used. It is common practice for the person skilled in the art to use and follow the advice of the active ingredient suppliers (e.g., BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, Corteva), such as by using technical data sheets and / or follow recommendations. In one embodiment, the biologically active ingredient can be any one of: plant nutrients, growth stimulating agent and plant protection products. According to the invention, the term “plant nutrient” includes any nutrient such as a micronutrient or macronutrient. 'Nutrient" as used herein can refer to an additive or substance utilized by plants, grasses, shrubs for plant, grass, and shrub growth, respectively. Macronutrients can be utilized in larger amounts by plants, grasses, etc. in proportionally larger amounts relative to micronutrients. Nutrients include but are not limited to manganese, boron, copper, iron, chlorine, molybdenum, and zinc, potassium, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur, among others. Compositions of the present invention can include various combinations and relative amounts of individual macronutrients. According to the invention, the term “growth stimulating agents” includes biological additives, such as inoculants type bacteria or fungi, as well as plant biostimulants. Plant biostimulants are usually components other than fertilizers that affect plant growth and / or metabolism upon foliar application or when added to soil or the seeds. Plant biostimulants generally fall within one of three categories: hormone-containing products, aminoacid-containing products and humic acid containing products. Plant biostimulants are used to treat crops in a commercial setting in view of their ability to, for example, increase growth rates, decrease pest plant growth, increase stress tolerance, increase photosynthetic rate, and increase disease tolerance. According to the invention, the term “plant protection product” (also known as PPP) includes fungicidal agents, bactericidal agents, insecticidal agents, nematicidal agents, molluscicial agents, biologicals, acaricides, miticides, pesticides, attracting agents, repellent agents, biocides, minerals, plant extracts, or pheromones. Typical fungicidal agents include Captan (N-trichloromethyl)thio-4-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboximide), Thiram tetramethylthioperoxydicarbonic diamide (commercially available as Proseed™), Metalaxyl (methyl-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-N-(methoxyacetyl)-d,1-alaninate), Fludioxonil (4-(2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-1-H-pyrrol-3-carbonitril; commercially available in a blend with mefonoxam as Maxim™ XL), difenoconazole (commercially available as Dividend™ 3FS), carbendazim iprodione (commercially available as Rovral™, ipconazole (commercially available as Rancona from Arista, formerly Agriphar or Chemtura), mefonoxam (commercially available as Apron™ XL), tebuconazole, carboxin, thiabendazole, azoxystrobin, prochloraz, prothioconazole (commercially available as Redigo from Bayer), sedaxane (commercially available as Vibrance from Syngenta), cymoxanil (l-(2-cyano-2-methoxyiminoacetyl)-3-ethylurea), fludioxonil, a mixture of metalaxyl, cymoxanil and fludioxonil commercially available as Wakil from Syngenta, and oxadixyl (N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-methoxy-N-(2-oxo-3-oxazolidinyl) acetamide). A fungicide can be included in the seed treatment composition in an amount of about 0.0001-10% by total weight of the treated seeds. Typical bactericidal agents include streptomycin, penicillins, tetracyclines, ampicillin, and oxolinic acid. Typical insecticidal agents include pyrethroids, organophosphates, caramoyloximes, pyrazoles, amidines, halogenated hydrocarbons, neonicotinoids, and carbamates and derivatives thereof. Particularly suitable classes of insecticides include organophosphates, phenylpyrazoles and pyrethoids. Preferred insecticides are those known as terbufos, chlorpyrifos, fipronil, chlorethoxyfos, tefluthrin, carbofuran, imidacloprid, and tebupirimfos. Commercially available insecticides include imidacloprid (commercially available as Gaucho™), and clothianidin (commercially available from Bayer as Poncho™), thiametoxam (commercially available from Syngenta as Cruiser™), thiacloprid (commercially available as Sonido from Bayer), Cypermetrin (commercially available from Chemtura as Langis®), methiocarb (commercially available as Mesurol from Bayer), fipronil (commercially available from BASF as Regent™), chlorantraniliprole (also known as rynaxypyr, 5-bromo-N-[4-chloro-2-methyl-6-(methylcarbamoyl)phenyl]-2-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)pyrazole-3-carboxamide, commercially available as Coragen® from DuPont) and cyantraniliprole (also known as cyazypyr, 3-bromo-l-(3-chloro-2-pyridyl)-4,-cyano-2,-methyl-6,-(methylcarbamoyl) pyrazole-5-carboxanilide). An additional class of insecticidal agents includes RNAi (RNA interference) type of molecules which have been shown, for example, to control insect pests upon ingestion of specific RNAi molecules. Commercially available nematicidal agents include abamectin (commercially available from Syngenta as Avicta™) thiodicarb (commercially available from Bayer as Aeris™). Typical molluscicidal agents include metaldehyde (commercially available from Lonza as Meta®) or niclosamid (commercially available from Bayer as Bayluscide®), Cyazypir and Rynaxypir (available from DuPont). Examples of suitable “biologicals” include Bacillus spp., Trichoderma spp., Paenibacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacter spp., Azospirillum spp., rhizobia (for nitrogen fixation) and the like, which have been identified as seed treatment materials to protect plants and / or enhance their health and / or productive capacity. The use of seed treatment compositions of the invention can result in improved viability of these biologicals. A biocide can be included in some embodiments of the seed treatment composition for instance as preservative, in order to prolong the shelf life of the seed treatment composition before being applied to a seed, such as when being stored. Examples of suitable biocides include MIT (2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; CAS No. 2682-20-4), BIT (l,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one; CAS No. 2634-33-5), CIT (5-Chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one), 5-Chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one mixture with 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one CAS No. 55965-84-9, Bronopol (2-Bromo-2-nitro-propane-1,3-diol) and / or a combination of these. The above lists are explicitly not exhaustive, new active ingredients are continuously developed and can be incorporated in the seed treatment composition. In one embodiment, the amount of seed binder polyester in the composition of the invention ranges from 1 to 60 wt.%, preferably from 1 to 40 wt.%, more preferably 1 to 30 wt.%, based on the total weight of the seed treatment composition. The seed treatment composition of the invention may further comprises one or more additive such as a wax, a resin, a solvent, a thickener, a pigment, an antifoaming agent, a surfactant, an anti-freeze agent, one or several nutrients, a biostimulant, a filler, a biocide, a dye, and / or a second or more binder and / or a combination thereof. Typical waxes suitable for use in the composition of the invention include the group consisting of natural wax, mineral wax and synthetic wax or a combination thereof. Particularly, the wax includes polyethylene wax, modified polyethylene wax, polytetrafluoroethylene, fatty alcohols, ethoxylated fatty alcohols, carnauba wax, paraffin wax, polypropylene wax, oxidized polyethylene wax, montan wax, ceresin wax, ozocerite, peat wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, amide wax and derivatives, ethyleneacrylic acid wax, polyolefin wax, ethylene bis stearamide wax, bees wax, lanolin wax, sugar cane wax, palm wax, carnauba and vegetable wax. It is also possible that mixtures of two or more waxes are present in the seed treatment composition. The waxes may be present, according to the present invention, in a total amount of about 1 - 60%. Suitable “thickeners” include, but are not limited to agar, carboxy methyl-cellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, cellulose, carrageen, chitin, fucoidan, ghatti, gum Arabic, karaya, laminaran, locust bean gum, pectin, alginate, guar gum, xanthan gum, diutan gum, and tragacanth, bentonite clays, HELIR (hydrophobically modified, alkali-swellable emulsion) thickeners, acrylic co-polymer emulsion, and polyacrylates. Preferably, the thickener is a water-soluble polymer. Thickeners, according to the present invention, may be present in a total amount of about 0.05-10%. Advantageously, the seed treatment composition of the invention may for example further comprise a surfactant such as a wetting, dispersing and / or emulsifying agent. The surfactant may aid in milling / mixing / emulsifying / dispersing the biologically active ingredient, the wax and / or pigment particles, and / or filler particles, and / or effect pigment particles in seed treatment composition. Suitable surfactant include ionic and non-ionic products and include solutions of organo-modified polyacrylates, polyacrylates, sodium polyacrylate, EO / PO block copolymers, acrylic comb copolymer, ammonium polyacrylate, sorbitan ester ethoxylated, polyurethane, phosphoric acid ester, star polymers, and / or modified polyethers. Common surfactants include amphiphilic organic compounds, usually comprising a branched, linear or aromatic hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon or siloxane chain as tail and a hydrophilic group. Some types of surfactants include non-ionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants, and organosilicone and organofluorine surfactants. Some examples of surfactants include polyoxyethylene glycol and polyoxypropylene ethers and esters, in particular alkyl, aryl and alkylaryl ethers thereof, and sulphates, phosphates and sulphonic acid compounds of such ethers, glucoside (alkyl) ethers, glycerol esters, such as alkyl and fatty acid esters, sorbitan (alkyl) esters, acetylene compounds, cocamide compounds, block copolymers of polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol. Further examples of surfactants include alkylamine salts and alkyl quaternary ammonium salts, for example betain type surfactants, amino acid type surfactants; and polyhedric alcohols, fatty acid esters, in particular C12-C18, fatty acids, for instance of polyglycerin, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, sorbitan, and sucrose, polyhydric alcohol alkyl ethers, fatty acid alkanol amides, and propoxylated and ethoxylated compounds such as fatty alcohol ethoxylates, polyethyxlated tallow amine and alkylphenol ethoxylates. Some examples of anionic surfactants include carboxylic acids, copolymers of carboxylic acids, sulphates, sulphonic acid compounds and phosphates, for example lignin sulphonates and (linear) alkylaryl sulphonates. The seed treatment composition may further comprise one or more solvents selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, and hydrocarbons. Also, mixtures of solvents can be used. It is preferred that the solvent is liquid at 20° C. and 1 atm. Examples of suitable solvents include water, glycols and their esters and ethers, in particular ethylene and propylene glycols and their esters and ethers, for instance, esters and ethers with Cj-Cg alkyl groups and / or aromatic groups, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, benzyl and phenyl ethers, including mono ethers and dialkyl ethers, and esters of these ethers, such as acetates, and ethylene and propylene glycol esters, for instance of fatty acids; polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polypropylene glycol and esters thereof, especially with fatty acids; butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, polyethylene glycol; N-methylpyrrolidone, glycerine, alkyl alcohols with up to 10 carbon atoms, such as ethanol, propanol and butanol. Other examples of solvents include dipropylene glycol methyl ether and propylene glycol methyl ether. An important solvent is ethylene glycol. Further examples include propylene tetramer and synthetic ester oils such as lactate esters, particularly ethyl lactate and benzoate esters e.g. iso-propyl or2-ethylhexyl benzoates. Aromatic hydrocarbons such as xylene, aliphatic and paraffinic solvents and vegetable oils can also be used as solvent. Examples of suitable antifoaming agents include mineral oil defoamers, silicone defoamers, and non-silicone defoamers (such as polyethers, polyacrylates), dimethylpolysiloxanes (silicone oils), arylalkyd modified polysiloxanes, polyether siloxane copolymer containing filmed silica, aqueous emulsion of polyorganosiloxanes The antifoaming agent may be present in some embodiments of the seed treatment composition in an amount of at least 1 ppm by weight, or about 0.1-1.0% by total weight of the seed treatment composition. The seed treatment composition may further comprise an anti-freeze agent. Antifreeze agent may be selected from ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and glycerin, with the preferred glycol being ethylene glycol and propylene glycol and / or combinations thereof. The seed treatment composition may further comprise nutrients. Nutrients may be selected from the list of nitrogen, copper, zinc, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, cobalt, sulfur, sodium, boron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron. The seed treatment composition may further comprise a filler. Fillers may be selected from clay, graphite, silicate, kaolin, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide. The seed treatment composition may further comprise one or several pigments. The “pigment” used within the context of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, all kinds of pigment available in the art. Preferably, the pigment is selected from the group consisting of: pigment red 112 (CAS No. 6535-46-2), pigment red 2 (CAS No. 6041-94-7; 4-[(2,5-dichlorophenyl)diazenyl]-3-hydroxy-N-phenyl-2-naphthamide), pigment red 48:2 (CAS No. 7023-61-2; calcium 4-[(5-chloro-4-methyl-2-sulfonatophenyl)diazenyl]-3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate), pigment blue 15:3 (CAS No. 147-14-8; copper polyphthalocyanine), pigment green 36 (CAS No. 14302-13-7; [1,3,8,16,18,24-hexabromo-2,4,9,10,11,15,17,22,23,25-decachloro-29H,31H-phthalocyaninato(2-)-kappa~2~N~29~,N~31~]copper), pigment green 7 (CAS No. 1328-53-6; [1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11,15,16,17,18,22,23,25-pentadecachloro-5,26-dihydro-29H,31H-phthalocyaninato(2-) kappa~2~N~29~,N~31~]copper) , pigment yellow 74 (CAS No. 6358-31-2; 2-[(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]-N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanamide), pigment yellow 1 (CAS No. 2512-29-0; 2-[(4-Methyl-2-nitrophenyl)azo]-3-oxo-N-phenylbutyramide), pigment orange 5 (CAS No. 3468-63-1; 1-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)diazenyl]-2-naphthol), pigment orange 13 (CAS No. 3520-72-7; 4,4'-[(3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl-4,4'-diyl)didiazene-2,1-diyl]bis(5-methyl-2-phenyl-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one)), pigment violet 23 (CAS No. 6358-30-1; 8,18-dichloro-5,15-diethyl-5,15-dihydrocarbazolo[3',2':5,6][1,4]oxazino[2,3-b]indolo[2,3-i]phenoxazine), pigment black 7 (CAS No. 97793-37-8), pigment white 6 (CAS No. 98084-96-9), pigment red PR254 (CAS 84632-65-5 ; Diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole), pigment blue 15:1 (CAS 12239-87-1), pigment blue 15:2 (CAS 12239-87-1), pigment yellow 184 (CAS 14059-33-7), pigment yellow 13 (CAS 5102-83-0), pigment yellow PY83 (CAS 5567-15-7), pigment orange 34 (CAS 15793-73-4) and combination thereof. Examples of suitable pigments include pearlescent pigment in different particle sizes, notably mica group minerals, metal oxides, metallic pigment, TiO2 coated mica particles. Pigments having a particle size of 15 pm or less, or a particle size of 60 pm or less may be used. The particle size of the pigment is preferably not more than 200 pm, more preferably not more than 100 pm. Usually, the particle size of the pigment is 1 pm or more. Another pigment can be aluminium. Pigments can be used to create an attractive cosmetic look on the seeds. The total amount of pigment is in the range from 0.5 wt.% to 60 wt.%. The “dye” may comprise all kinds of dyes available in the art. Preferably, the dye is selected from the group consisting of: anthraquinone, and combinations thereof, triphenylmethane, phthalocyanine, derivatives thereof, nitro dyes, xanthene derivatives, acridine derivatives, pyronin derivatives, fluorone, diazo derivatives, azine, carotenoid, diarylmethane, thiazin derivatives, oxazin, triphenylmethane, coumarin, anthanthrone stillbene, nitrodiphenylamine, cyanine, quinoline, benzanthrone, azo derivatives, triarylmethane dye, derivatives thereof and / or combinations thereof. The total amount of the dye may be used in the range from 0.5 to 30%. Further, a second or more binder can be included within the seed treatment composition. The binder can be any suitable binder approved for agricultural use. One such list of suitable binders can be found in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 40, Part 180.960 (referred to hereafter as 40CFR180. 960). Included in this list approved binders are acrylic polymers composed of one or more of the following monomers: acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate hydroxybutyl acrylate, carboxyethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid, methyl methacrylate, hydroxy butyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, and stearyl methacrylate; with none and / or one or more of the following monomers: acrylamide, N-methyl acrylamide, N.Ndimethyl acrylamide, N-octyl acrylamide, maleic anhydride, maleic acid, monoethyl maleate, diethyl maleate, dibutyl maleate, monooctyl maleate, dioctyl maleate, and their corresponding sodium, potassium, ammonium, isopropylamine, triethylamine, monoethanolamine, and / or triethanolamine salts. Other suitable binders from this list include: copolymers of methyl vinyl ether with maleic anhydride or monoalkyl esters of maleic anhydride (e.g. Agrimer(R) VEMA line of products from ISP); polyvinylpyrrolidone; copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone with vinyl acetate (e.g., Agrimer VA line of products from ISP); copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone with vinyl alkyl s (e.g. Agrimer(R) AL line of products from ISP); polyvinyl acetate; ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymers (e.g. Atlox(R) SemKote E product line from Uniqema); vinyl acetate acrylic copolymers (e.g., Atlox(R) Semkote V product line from Uniqema); A-B block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide; A-B-A triblock copolymers of EO-PO-EO (e.g. Pluronics(R) line from BASF); polyvinyl alcohol, styrene acrylic polymers and vinyl acetate-versatate polymers. Suitable “binders” can be selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohols, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, polyurethane dispersion, anionic aliphatic polyester-polyurethane, polysaccharides, proteins, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidones, and polyacrylates. Suitable “binders” can also be selected from the group consisting of starch-polyester alloys, starch and derivatives, starch-PCL blends; polylactic acid (PLA)-starch blends, polylactic acid, poly(lactic acid-glycolic acid) copolymers; PCL, polysioprene, polysaccharide, polygalactomannans, such as derivatized or non-derivatized guars, vegetable gums, proteins, gelatine, cellulose esters, cellulose fibrils, carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, starch esters; starch esteraliphatic polyester blends, modified corn starch, polycaprolactone, poly(namylmethacrylate), ethyl cellulose, wood rosin, polyanhydrides, polyvinylalcohol (PVOH), polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate (PHBV), biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). The seed treatment composition may further comprise a resin. Resin may be selected from the list of wood resins, rosin acids, terpene resins, rosin acid derivatives, rosin resins or rosin esters. The seed treatment composition according to the invention may be in the form of a concentrate, a diluted concentrate, or a sprayable diluted. In particular, the seed treatment composition according to the invention may be in the form of an aqueous solution, an emulsion and / or a dispersion. In addition, the seed treatment composition according to the invention may be in the form of a flowable concentrate for seed treatment (FS), an emulsifiable concentrate (EC), emulsion in water concentrate (EW), suspension concentrate (SC), capsule suspension (CS), ZC formulation, water dispersible granules (WDG) and / or suspoemulsions (SE). Preferably, the agricultural composition according to the invention is formulated as a flowable concentrate for seed treatment (FS). Method for treating seeds In another aspect of the invention, it is provided the use of the polyester as described above in method of treating seeds. In still another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method of treating seeds, the method comprising the step: treating seeds with the seed treatment composition as described above. The method of the present invention can be implemented on any type of seed. The seeds are preferably chosen among agricultural crop. As used herein the term “seed” is to be understood as the ripened ovule of gymnosperms and angiosperms, which contains an embryo surrounded by a protective cover. In particular, the term covers cereals kernels. The protective cover can comprise the seed coat (testa). Some seeds comprise a pericarp or fruit coat around the seed coat. In particular, when this layer is closely adhered to the seed, as in cereal kernels, it is in some cases referred top as a caryopsis or an achene. The “seed” can be a plant seed, for example a seed of an agricultural crop, a vegetable seed, a herb seed, a wildflower seed, an ornamental seed, a grass seed, a tree seed, or a bush seed. Moreover, the term “seed” includes, but is not limited to, anything that can be planted in agriculture to produce plants, including pelleted seeds, true seeds, plant seedlings, rootstock, regenerable and plant forming tissue and tubers or bulbs. In a general manner, the composition of the invention can be easily applied onto the seeds using any conventional and commercially available application equipment. In one embodiment, the seed is of the crop species including but not limited to corn (Zea mays), Brassica sp. (e.g., B. napus, B. rapa, B. juncea), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), rice (Oryza sativa), rye (Secale cereale), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, Sorghum vulgare), millet (e.g., pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), foxtail millet (Setaria italica), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), wheat (Triticum aestivum), soybean (Glycine max), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), cotton (Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium hirsutum), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), cassava (Manihot esculenta), coffee (Cofea spp.), coconut (Cocos nucifera), pineapple (Ananas comosus), citrus trees (Citrus spp.), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), tea (Camellia sinensis), banana (Musa spp.), avocado (Persea americana), fig (Ficus casica), guava (Psidium guajava), mango (Mangifera indica), olive (Olea europaea), papaya (Carica papaya), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), almond (Prunus amygdalus), sugar beets (Beta vulgaris), sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), canola, oats, barley, vegetables, ornamentals, woody plants such as conifers and deciduous trees, squash, pumpkin, hemp, zucchini, apple, pear, quince, melon, plum, cherry, peach, nectarine, apricot, strawberry, grape, raspberry, blackberry, sorghum, sugarcane, rapeseed, clover, carrot, and Arabidopsis thaliana. Further examples of seeds is of any vegetables species including but not limited to tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), lettuce (e.g., Lactuca sativa), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), lima beans (Phaseolus limensis), peas (Lathyrus spp.), cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, radish, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, onion, garlic, pepper, celery, and members of the genus Cucumis such as cucumber (C. sativus), cantaloupe (C. cantalupensis), and musk melon (C. melo). According to one embodiment, the seed is selected from the group consisting of corn, soybean, sunflower, oil seed rape, pasture, cane, cotton, wheat, beans, rice, and preferably the seed is corn or soybean seed. “Method for treating seeds” as disclosed herein refers to all conventional methods, which are known in the art. That is, the treating can be performed directly on the natural outer surface of the seed. Nevertheless, it is possible that the seed surface has undergone a previous surface treatment before applying the seed treatment composition. It is possible that such surface treatment does not entail the provision of an artificial layer but involves a physical change or modification of the surface of part of the seed or the entire surface of the seed. For example, the surface treatment may involve increasing the surface roughness, such as by selective removal of parts of the seed coat, selective deformation of the seed coat or a combination thereof. Suitable treating techniques may be utilized to treat the seed or agglomeration of the seeds with the composition according to the present invention. Equipment that may be utilized for treating can include but are not limited to drum coaters, rotary coaters, tumbling drums, fluidized beds and spouted beds. It is appreciated that any suitable equipment or technique known by a person skilled in the art may be employed. The seed may be treated via a batch or continuous treating process. The seed may be treated with the composition according to the present invention. Advantageously, the polyester not only has biodegradable properties, but also promotes excellent coverage to seeds, capable of providing good dust reduction, good resistance to abrasion and improved flowability. The seeds may be separated prior to the treating step. In one embodiment, mechanical means, such as a sieve, may be employed for separating the seeds. The separated seeds can then be introduced into a treating machine having a seed reservoir. In one embodiment, the seeds are combined with the composition described herein in a mixing bowl. Typically, the amount of seed treatment composition applied to the seed can be in the range of about 0.3-30 g per kg seed, such as about 0.5-20 g per kg seed. The seed treatment composition is suitably applied to the seed such that the ratio of the dried treating layer to seed is suitably in the range from 0.05 to 10:1, preferably from 0.05 to 1:1, even more preferably from 0.05 to 0.5:1. It can be 0.008:1, or 0.0001:1 by weight. In an embodiment, the ratio of the dried treating layer to seed is 1 to 5:1. In an embodiment, the ratio of the dried treating layer to seed is 2 to 4:1. In an embodiment, the ratio of the dried treating layer to seed is 6 to 9:1. In an embodiment, the ratio of the dried treating layer to seed is 7 to 8:1. In one embodiment, the method of treating seeds comprises the steps: combining the seed treatment composition according to the invention with other component(s), e.g. additives and / or water and optionally one or more biologically active ingredients and then applying on seeds the obtained composition. Preferably, the method of treating seeds comprises the steps of combining the seed treatment composition according to the invention with other component(s), e.g. water, additives, and pre-mix with one or more biologically active ingredient(s), possibly plant nutrients, growth stimulating agents and / or a different seed treatment composition which usually contain one or more binder, finally applying the obtained composition on seeds. Another option is to co-apply the different components such as the polyester according to the invention and other component(s), e.g. biologically active ingredient(s), additives and / or water (preferably biologically active ingredient(s), additives and water), possibly plant nutrients, growth stimulating agents and / or a different seed treatment composition which usually contain one or more binder directly on seeds without any pre-mix of the seed treatment composition with the other component(s). “Pre-mixing” as used within the context of this application means that the seed treatment composition according to the invention is mixed with optional component(s) before applying to the seeds to be treated. For all options, fluency powder can be applied at the end of the process as a dry powder applied on seeds. The seed treatment composition can also be used in a pelleting or encrusting process. In this case, large amounts of powder are added in parallel to increase the volume of the seeds and potentially modify its aspect. In some aspects, one or more layers of treating which comprises the composition according to the present invention may be added onto the seeds or the agglomeration thereof. Outer layers can be introduced sequentially by treating the seeds or the agglomeration thereof in a rotating drum. Agglomerators or agglomerator devices may also be utilized. Treatment may be performed within a rotary coater by placing the seeds within a rotating chamber, which pushes the seeds against the inside wall of the chamber. Centrifugal forces and mixing bars placed inside the coater allow the seeds to rotate and mix with a treating layer comprising the composition according to the present invention. Other treating materials can be pumped into the proximate center of the coater onto an atomizer disk that rotates along with the treating chamber. Upon hitting the atomizer disk, liquid adhesive is then directed outward in small drops onto the seeds. Seed treatment techniques also include, for example, placing the seeds in a rotating pan or drum. The seeds are then mist with water or other liquid, and then gradually a fine inert powder, e.g., diatomaceous earth, is added to the treating pan. Each misted seed becomes the center of a mass of powder, layers, or treatings that gradually increases in size. The mass is then rounded and smoothed by the tumbling action in the pan, similar to pebbles on the beach. The treating layers are compacted by compression from the weight of material in the pan. Seed treating may reduce the amount of dust produced by the finished product in handling, shipping and sowing. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for preparing a seed treatment composition, comprises the following steps: (i) Adding a polyester as defined above, wherein the polyester is present in an amount of from 0.5 wt.% to 60 wt.% with respect to the total weight of the seed treatment composition, (ii) Adding one or more additives; and, (iv) Adding water. In another embodiment of the invention, a method for preparing a seed treatment composition, comprises the following steps: (i) Adding a polyester as defined above, wherein the polyester is present in an amount of from 0.5 wt.% to 60 wt.% with respect to the total weight of the seed treatment composition, (ii) adding one or more additives, (iii) Optionally adding one or more biologically active ingredients; and, (iv) Adding water. Preferably, the application of the seed and the application of the composition according to the present invention are performed mechanically. It is appreciated that either or both of the referenced applications can be performed manually as well. Advantageously, the improvement on flowability achieved by seeds treated using the seed treatment composition according to the invention is an important parameter during planting, which is even more important for more humid environments. Poor flowability can be a major problem as seeding performance is impaired and, consequently, the planting yield can be harmed. In another aspect of the present invention, it is provided the use of the seed treatment composition according to the invention comprising the polyester defined above for reducing the dust emission and improving the resistance to abrasion and the flowability of the treated seeds. In addition, the invention relates to the seed treated with the seed treatment composition as described previously. According to the above, the treating is applied over substantially the entire surface of the seed, such as over 90% or more of the surface area of the seed, to form a treating layer. However, the treating may be complete or partial, for instance about 80%, about 70%, about 60%, about 50%, about 40%, about 30%, about 20%, about 10% or less of the surface area of the seed. In a particular embodiment, the seed is of an agricultural crop, preferably wherein the seed is a corn or soybean seed. Should the disclosure of any patents, patent applications, and publications which are incorporated herein by reference conflict with the description of the present application to the extent that it may render a term unclear, the present description shall take precedence. EXAMPLES A series of polyesters according to the present invention were prepared using the same reaction conditions but varying the monomers. The polyesters obtained (S1 to S5) are summarized at TABLE 1. Part I: Synthesis of binder polyester. Example 1. A stainless steel reactor equipped with an overhead stirrer, nitrogen inlet, condenser setup with receiving vessel and a solid addition port was charged with 384.2g (2.209 mol) of 1,4 cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, 155.9g (0.552 mol) of 5-Sulfoisophthalic acid sodium salt, 3.49g (0.011 mmol) of Titanium(IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide solution (80 wt. % in isopropanol) [TyzorTE] and 519.4 g (8.28 mol) of Ethylene Glycol. The mixture was heated to 160 °C under nitrogen blanket and the reaction mixture was maintained at the same temperature for 60 minutes under agitation, then the reaction temperature was raised to 200 °C and gradually a reduced pressure of 100mBar was achieved, under this condition ethylene glycol started distilling and was collected in a receiver. The reaction temperature was then increased to 235 °C under reduced pressure. As the reaction achieved 235 °C the pressure was further reduced to 20 mBar. The reaction was maintained for 60 minutes in this condition after which the temperature was decreased to stop the polymerization. Polymer was discharged after it reached room temperature. Example 2. A stainless steel reactor equipped with an overhead stirrer, nitrogen inlet, condenser setup with receiving vessel and a solid addition port was charged with 354.7g (2.06 mol) of 1,4 cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, 145.7g (0.54 mol) of 5-Sulfoisophthalic acid sodium salt, 5.7g (0.027 mol) of trimesic acid, 3.26g (0.011 mmol) of Titanium(IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide solution (80 wt. % in isopropanol) [TyzorTE] and 485g (7.81 mol) of Ethylene Glycol. The mixture was heated to 160 °C under nitrogen blanket and the reaction mixture was maintained at the same temperature for 60 minutes under agitation, then the reaction temperature was raised to 200 °C and gradually a reduced pressure of 100mBar was achieved, under this condition ethylene glycol started distilling and was collected in a receiver. The reaction temperature was then increased to 245 °C under reduced pressure. As the reaction achieved 245 °C the pressure was further reduced to 20 mBar. The reaction was maintained for 90 minutes in this condition after which the temperature was decreased to stop the polymerization. Polymer was discharged after it reached room temperature. Example 3. A stainless steel reactor equipped with an overhead stirrer, nitrogen inlet, condenser setup with receiving vessel and a solid addition port was charged with 137.4g (0.78 mol) of 1,4 cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, 113.23 g (0. 4 mol) of 5-Sulfoisophthalic acid sodium salt, 4.4g (0.02 mol) of trimesic acid, 2.54g (0.008 mmol) of Titanium(IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide solution (80 wt. % in isopropanol) [TyzorTE] and 125.74g (2 mol) of Ethylene Glycol. The mixture was heated to 160 °C under nitrogen blanket and the reaction mixture was maintained at the same temperature for 60 minutes under agitation. The resulting mixture was then heated to 200 °C and mixed for a short period of time. Water was generated as by-product and removed from the reaction mixture by distillation (under vacuum if necessary) along with excess ethylene glycol. The reaction mixture was further heated to 235 - 240°C, and the prepolymer c2 was added in small portions over a period of time. After completion of prepolymer c2 addition, the reaction mixture was heated to 245°C and kept for a period of time under vacuum to achieve the desired degree of polymerization. Subsequently, temperature was decreased to 5 stop the polymerization. Polymer was discharged after it reached room temperature. Table 1: The prepared polyesters. Sample code Polymer composition (Feed mole %) CHDA SSIA EG TMA TA S1 40 10 50 - - S2 45 5 50 - - S3 35 10 50 - 5 S4 34.5 10 50 0.5 5 S5 19.5 10 50 0.5 20 CHDA — 1,4 cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid; SSIA -5-Sulfoisophthalic acid sodium salt; EG - Ethylene glycol; TMA - Trimesic acid; TA- Terephthalic acid. 10 Example 4. The biodegradability test The biodegradability test is done according to the test method OECD 302B. If the biodegradability test result is over 70% within 28 days calculated based on DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) or COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and fulfilled the validity criteria of the test, it will be deemed as passing the 15 biodegradability test. Table 2: The biodegradability test results Polymer Biodegradability, % after 28 days S1 73 S2 95 S3 71 S4 79 S5 86 According to table 2, all the polyesters are biodegradable. Part II: Seed treatment experiments Different seed treatment compositions containing binders were applied on seeds 5 in combination with standard pesticide recipe and the performances of the treated seeds were evaluated with the following standard tests: dust emission (Heubach test), abrasion resistance and flowability of treated seeds. Binders used in the compositions were biodegradable polyester of Table 2 or comparative binders, commercially available. 10 Example 5. Seed treatment compositions Seed treatment compositions were prepared by mixing under magnetic agitation the different binders presented in Table 1 with pesticide slurries (insecticide and fungicide), a pigment dispersion and water. The mixtures were prepared to obtain the application dose rate on seeds detailed in Table 3. Note that the dose rate of 15 water in the seed treatment compositions was adjusted to reach a total volume of slurry on seeds equals to 15 mL / kg. Table 3: Seed treatment composition Component ST4-0 mL / kg seeds ST4-1 mL / kg seeds ST4-2 mL / kg seeds ST4-3 mL / kg seeds ST4-4 mL / kg seeds ST4-5 mL / kg seeds ST4-6 mL / kg seeds ST4-7 mL / kg seeds Comparative Invention SI (40% dispersion in water) - - - 4.0 - - - - S2 (40% dispersion in water) - - - - 4.0 - - - S3 (40% dispersion in water) - - - - - 4.0 - - S4 (40% dispersion in water) - - - - - - 4.0 - 55 (40% dispersion in water) - - - - - - - 4.0 Acrylic based binder (51% active content) - 1.0 - - - - - Cellulosic binder (2% dispersion) - - 1.0 - - - - - Fungicide slurry 1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Insecticide slurry 1 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 Red pigment dispersion 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water 8.6 7.6 7.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 The different seed treatment compositions obtained were applied on corn seeds of the variety A (TKW=318). Seeds were also treated without the addition of any binder (ST4-0) as a reference. 5 Example 6. Dust emission, resistance to abrasion and flowability Dust emissions of treated corn seeds were evaluated with a Heubach dustmeter equipment. The principle of Heubach test is the following: the treated seeds are submitted to a mechanical stress inside a rotating drum. The drum is connected to a glass bottle and a filter unit. A vacuum pump creates a flow of air through the 10 rotating drum, the bottle and the filter support unit. Thanks to this air flow, the “heavy” particles are collected in the bottle while the fine particles are deposited on the filter. The Heubach dust value is calculated as the ratio of the weight difference of the filter unit after and before the test and the weight of treated seeds. The test is performed twice, the final result is the mean of the two measurements 15 expressed as total amount of dust per 100,000 seeds. The settings of the Heubach equipment are set as follows: rotation speed 30 rpm, rotation time 120 seconds, seed quantity 100 g and airflow rate 20 L / min. The resistance to abrasion of treated seeds was evaluated by the application of a strong mechanical stress on treated seeds (abrasion test). Treated seeds are introduced in a glass flask. The closed flask is then submitted to 3D rotation for 10 minutes at 92 rpm (Turbula apparatus). This abrasion test is simulating hard handling conditions in the seed industry. The seeds are weighted before and after the abrasion test to determine the quantity of fine particles emitted. Flowability of treated seeds was evaluated with a texturometer apparatus. A probe is immersed in a beaker filled with the treated seeds, the force required to extract the probe from the seeds is measured. This force measured during the ascent determines the capacity of the seeds to flow. The lower is the force, the higher is the flowability of the treated seeds. The results for dust emission, resistance to abrasion and flowability of the seeds treated with seed treatment slurries comprising the biodegradable polyesters of Table 2, commercially available binders (comparative binders) and no binder as reference, ST4-0 to ST4-7, are respectively presented in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The seed treated with compositions containing different binders of the invention (ST4-3 to ST4-7) demonstrated dust value and concentration of fines after abrasion lower than the reference without binder and dust values comparable to the comparative binders. Additionally, seed treated with compositions of binders of the invention ST4-3, ST4-6 and ST4-7 showed similar performance on resistance to abrasion than the one of the comparative binders (ST4-1 and ST4-2). Therefore, the seed treatment compositions comprising the binders of the invention allow improving the resistance to abrasion of the treated seeds. In terms of flowability, the seed treatment compositions comprising the binders of the invention (ST4-3 and ST4-7) demonstrated better results in terms of flowability compared to the seed treatment composition without binder (ST4-0) and with the comparative binders (ST4-1 and ST4-2). Therefore, the addition of the binders of the invention allows improving the flowability of treated seeds. Figures 1 to 3 and data of example 6 show that the use of the binders of the invention in a seed treatment composition significantly reduces the dust emission and in parallel improves the resistance to abrasion and the flowability of the treated seeds.

Claims

1. Use as a binder, in particular for seed treatment or seeds, of a polyester prepared from at least one monomer composition comprising:(a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof;(b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units;(c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected fromc1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and,c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or the derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P).

2. Use according to claim 1, wherein the sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) is one or more selected from the group consisting of sulphoisophthalic or lower diesters, sulfoitaconic acid or lower diesters, sulphoterephthalic or lower diesters, sulpho-ortho-phthalic acids or anhydrides, 4-sulpho-2,7-naphthalenedicarboxylic acids or anhydrides, sulpho-4,4’-bis(hydroxycarbonyl)diphenyl sulphones, sulphodiphenyldicarboxylic acids or anhydrides, sulpho-4,4’-bis(hydroxycarbonyl)diphenylmethanes, sulpho-5-phenoxyisophthalic acids or anhydrides, sulphosuccinic acids or anhydrides or lower diesters thereof.

3. Use according to claim 1, wherein the polyhydric polyol (P) is selected from ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol or glycerol.

4. Use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) consists of at least one polycarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof.

5. Use according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) is selected from the group consisting of C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid, C2-C12 aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, terephthalic acid, trimesic acid, isophthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acids, furan polycarboxylic acids or diesters derivatives thereof.

6. Use as a binder, in particular for seed treatment or seeds, of a polyester, wherein the polyester comprises the following repeating units (I) and (II):wherein Ri, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from H or Ci-Cs alkyl;A is selected from C5 - C10 cycloaliphatic group or aromatic group; andn and m is a number ranging from 1 to 200.

7. Use according to claim 6, wherein one of Ri and R2 is selected from H, the other is selected from H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl.

8. Use according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the polyester further comprises the repeating units (III)wherein Rs and Rs are independently selected from H or Ci-Cs alkyl;R? and Rs are independently selected from H or COOH, andp is a number ranging from 0 to 200.

9. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the polyester is biodegradable.

10. Use as a binder, of a polyester prepared from at least one monomer composition comprising:(a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof;(b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units;(c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected fromc1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and,c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P),in seed treatment compositions.

11. A seed treatment composition comprising:(I) the polyester used as a binder according to any one of claims 1 to 9;(II) one or more additives; and(II) optionally one or more biologically active ingredient.

12. The seed treatment composition according claim 11, wherein the at least one biologically active ingredient is selected from the group of a plant nutrient, growth stimulating agent or a plant protective product, wherein the plant protection product is selected from the group consisting of fungicidal agents, bactericidal agents, insecticidal agents, nematicidal agents, molluscicial agents, biologicals, acaricides, miticides, pesticides, attracting agents, repellent agents, biocides, minerals, plant extracts, or pheromones and / or combinations thereof.

13. The seed treatment composition according claim 12, wherein the seed treatment composition is an aqueous solution, an emulsion and / or a dispersion.

14. The seed treatment composition according to any one of claim 11 to 13, wherein the polyester is used in an amount ranging from 1 to 60 wt.%, preferably from 1 to 40 wt.%, more preferably 1 to 30 wt.%, based on the total weight of the seed treatment composition.

15. The seed treatment composition according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the composition further comprises one or more additives of the following: a wax, a resin, a solvent, a thickener, a pigment, an anti-foaming agent, a surfactant, an anti-freeze agent, one or several nutrients, a biostimulant, a filler, a biocide, a dye, and / or a second or more binder and / or a combination thereof.

16. Use as a binder, of a polyester prepared from at least one monomer composition comprising:(a) a sulphonated dicarboxylic acid monomer (SA) selected from the group consisting of at least one sulphonated aromatic or sulphonated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or the derivatives thereof;(b) a polyhydric polyol (P) selected from the group consisting of at least one ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol having an ethylene oxide number ranging from 1 to 200, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol, propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, pentaerythritol, polytetrahydrofuran, glycerol, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,2,3-butanetriol, C5-C12 diols and oligomers of thereof having from 1 to 100 monomer units;(c) a polyacidic component which is at least one selected fromc1) an unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomer (A) or the derivatives thereof; and,c2) a polyester prepolymer prepared from the unsulphonated polycarboxylic acid monomers (A) or derivatives thereof and the polyhydric polyol (P),in method of treating seeds.

17. A method of treating seeds, the method comprising the step: treating seeds with the seed treatment composition according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the method comprises:combining the seed treatment composition according to any one of claims 11 to 15 with other component(s), e.g water, additives and optionally one or more biologically active ingredients, and then applying on seeds the obtained composition; orapplying on seeds the seed treatment composition according to any one of claims 11 to 15 with other component(s), e.g. water, additives, and pre-mix with one or more biologically active ingredient(s).

19. A method for preparing a seed treatment composition, wherein the method comprises the following steps:(i) Adding a polyester as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the polyester is present in an amount of from 1 wt.% to 60 wt.% with respect to the total weight of the seed treatment composition;(ii) Adding one or more additives;5 (iii) Optionally adding one or more biologically active ingredients; and,(iv) Adding water.

20. Use of the seed treatment composition according to any one of claims 11 to 15 comprising the polyester defined according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for reducing the dust emission and improving the resistance to abrasion and the 10 flowability of the treated seeds.

21. A seed treated with the seed treatment composition according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

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