Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 5220 RECENTLY, there have been concerns about seed testing standards, or a lack of. Companies might send a seed sample to one lab for a test and get one result, and if that same sample is sent to a different lab, they could get a different result. I realize these results directly impact business. I take this issue very seriously. There is a lack of standardization around certain tests, which has been recognized by the International Seed Testing Association and is being fixed. Seed companies need to be able to trust that test results are accurate. But our sector is at an impasse. I touched on this in my previous column, Seed Technologists Need to Increase Exposure, Expand Education. In short, the sector struggles to recruit educated employees; lacks educational programming; and pays little. Seed analysts are highly trained with technical proficiency in plant and seed taxonomy, systematics, anatomy, physiology, cellular biology, microbiol- ogy, pathology, chemistry, entomology and nematology. Attention to detail, dexterity, patience and good judgment are a must. Seed ana- lysts must understand seed regulations, here at home and abroad, and be able to explain their results. Meanwhile, the seed industry as a whole is advancing at a pace never seen before, using new technologies and breeding methods to develop more new products. This means new testing methods must be developed, and new standards must be deployed. It costs labs a lot of money to acquire these proficiencies — think what it would be if we didn’t have these. If seed testing companies want to be in business, you have to implement standard proce- dures and acquire certifications and proficiencies. From my vantage point, companies get a lot for $20, the average price of a germination test. But seed testing, for the most part, is seen as a necessary evil. Perhaps, something that is cheap is seen as having no value. It’s an extremely competitive environment. Economically, the cost of the test compared to the worth of the crop is completely out of line. Add up the dollars spent on liability insurance, accreditation, quality management systems and human resources; the seed testing industry is becoming a sweatshop. If we continue with this “Wal-Mart” mentality, the seed testing industry will eventually implode, and the problems will only worsen. Sarah Foster 20/20 Seed Labs President and Senior Seed Analyst @Sarah2020labs Sarah@2020seedlabs.ca 2020seedlabs.ca SEED HEALTH & TESTING TACKLING STANDARDIZATION, AND SO MUCH MORE IT IS IMPORTANT to upgrade equipment to keep up with technology and to increase capacity and quality. Still, the myth persists that upgrades are prohibitively expensive and should only be consid- ered when older equipment breaks down. And who hasn’t tried to “get the most out of” older equipment and push it past its limits, which can be counterpro- ductive and even dangerous. The need to deliver higher-grade products and meet higher standards will drive system upgrades. The fact is, everyone needs to upgrade their equip- ment. It’s a must. Suppliers invest in research and development to continuously improve their equip- ment for higher output and efficiency, resulting in a direct benefit to the end user. Investing in upgrades allows seed businesses to not only increase capacity, but also quality. A big part of your success today hinges on the equip- ment you put in place 20 or even 30 years ago. At the time of implementation, the equipment had the newest and most advanced technology availa- ble. But over time, those same systems have become antiquated. Thankfully, today’s systems are designed with the future in mind. Take colour sorting and seed treating. Industry remains curious about the Jason MacNevin Can-Seed Equipment Owner @jason_macnevin jmacnevin@canseedequip. com canseedequip.com PROCESSING EQUIPMENT INVESTING IN UPGRADES: WHY IT’S NECESSARY advancements in these areas, and its impact on return on investment. Optical colour sorting equipment appears similar on the exterior, but the interior is far more advanced than that of even five years ago. Advanced colour sorting equipment uses innova- tive injectors, cameras and processors capable of sorting actual colour and shape to increase yields and capacities. In terms of seed treating, the goal is even application and higher yields. This requires flow meters, weighing systems and polishers to apply chemi- cal evenly, reducing the number of over- and under-treated seeds. Continued advancement in automa- tion, optical sorting technology and seed treating will increase yields. Luckily, new equipment is designed to make it easier, and often more afford- able, to upgrade. So the question is not whether to upgrade, but how to upgrade. Do you upgrade your old system all at once, or upgrade portions of it over time?