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 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6838 THEAGRICULTUREINDUSTRYis more com- petitive than ever. A lot is on the line, and by that, I mean money, of course. Farmers are looking for ways to increase profits to help them to thrive in an often-challenging environment. They're looking for knowledge to help them gain an upper hand. Might I suggest looking to seed labs for that knowledge? It’s been a problem for years, but is perhaps a bigger issue than ever among farmers: lack of knowledge about the importance of seed test- ing. Because of its low cost, they often think it has little or no value. It surprises me when they tell me they don’t know what they are or should be doing in terms of testing of their seed. I'm thrilled that the multination- als, local seed companies and seed growers understand the importance of testing. They go above and beyond the existing basic Canadian standards to market their seed. Because they use labs that have a plethora of data, history and knowl- edge, we are able to provide well-rounded testing. We do more to ensure that expensive bag of seed lives up to its reputation. But how do we sell that to the farmer who won't test, who don't value the seed quality and only buy certified seed every five years? I show them what testing companies can do for them and I show them that if they continue to use their own seed, what happens when you don't test. You could be using seed that's damaged due to environmental factors or spreading disease unknow- ingly. It's pennies an acre to get the most from your seed, and we have to keep contributing to the development of new seed varieties that are higher yielding, resistant to diseases, and have higher nutri- tional value. Whether it’s for simple purity, germination, vomitoxin, fusarium, or a host of other things, test- ing means gaining knowledge. As more information than ever is available with the click of a button, people are beginning to tune out. We need to connect the dots and create an awareness that benefits everyone. Knowledge is power, and farmers must arm themselves with as much of it as possible. Sarah Foster 20/20 Seed Labs President and Senior Seed Analyst @Sarah2020labs Sarah@2020seedlabs.ca 2020seedlabs.ca SEED HEALTH & TESTING LOOKING FOR AN EDGE? LOOK TO SEED LABS INTEGRATEDSEED-TO-HARVESTSOLUTIONS. The concept is simple, and makes all the difference between success and failure in the world of product storage and handling. Careful thought must be given to solutions that start on-farm, right from seeding through to harvest, and even after that. Quality control and monitoring to make sure you’re on top of your crop production is crucial, right from seed- ing and chemical applications, through to harvesting the crop and storing it. Farmers must work closely with seed suppliers, chemical companies and agronomists to make sure they’re up on the latest trends and products available to them. Myths abound about integrated seed-to-harvest solutions. A big one has to do with cost. These kinds of solutions might come with an up- front investment, but are specifically designed to reduce your costs over the long term. It’s helpful to incorporate an integrated solution whenever you’re replacing or upgrading equipment to minimize cost exposure while maximizing the impact to your overall storage and handling systems. Making a change now helps avoid more costly solutions down the road. For example, seed stored in an improper bin is always susceptible to con- tamination of weeds and foreign seeds. A conveyor should not only handle commercial grain, but be considered valued equipment in seed handling for its cleanliness, speed and seed quality preservation. Modern augers feature reversing gearboxes, so farm- ers who use it for seed grain can reverse the auger to ensure it was cleaned out before and after use. Conveyors are increasing in use by produc- ers who are looking for seed-to-harvest integra- tion. Seed tenders are a great example of an integrated seed-to-harvest solution. They’ve allowed larger farmers to transition from bag seed to bulk seed without the fear of seed loss, damage or con- tamination. Also, the use of double-wall or at least heavier wall fuel tanks is adding to fuel safety in handling and transportation. A lot is changing in the seed industry, and inte- grated seed-to-harvest solutions will only become more important with time, as will companies within the industry that specialize in them. Glenn Friesen Meridian Manufacturing Inc. Senior Vice President – Sales and Marketing gfriesen@meridianmfg. com meridianmfg.com STORAGE AND HANDLING WHAT ARE INTEGRATED SEED-TO-HARVEST SOLUTIONS?