Forage seeds tend to be smaller. Why does this matter?
Forage seeds can be very difficult to tell apart from other forage species and also from weeds or other crops that might be lookalikes. It’s important to have a highly skilled person who can tell them apart to ensure you get the best purity you can out of a seed lot.
Because they’re so small, you can’t analyze quality with the naked eye. There are things you can’t see without experience and a microscope. Like…
Knowledge of seed morphology. Seed analysts are skilled in distinguishing normal from abnormal forage seedlings and determining factors like dormancy. By determining something called a pure living seed (PLS) value, they can help you determine the true planting potential of the forage seed lot.
A good seed analyst can take the size, density and shape of your forage seed and help customize cleaning in a way that will help you determine the best possible usage scenario for whoever is using the seed in the end.
In forage, old-fashioned expertise is still a necessity, and you need a good lab to help you out.
