70 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2017 INSIDERS ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS Today’s Regulatory Framework Doesn’t Work for Biologicals WHEN IT COMES to agriculture, inno- vation and the regulatory arena, there’s no shortage of concerns. Most every- one recognizes that the U.S. regulatory system needs to be updated; however, how it is updated and the definitions associated with certain products and methods are up for debate. One area that concerns me is how and to what degree biologicals are regulated. Should a biological be treated the same way as a manmade chemical? If you make a disease control claim, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) automatically regulates the product, whether it’s a chemical or biological. Generally speak- ing, chemicals are synthetic. The problem with this approach is that crop protec- tants fall somewhere on a continuum — it’s not black and white. EPA has placed biological products into a reduced risk category that is designed to be different from standard chemistry. While bio- logicals registrations are touted as more straightforward, nothing is a foregone conclusion when a package is submitted to EPA. Uncertainties in the process can trigger classification of what should be a safe organism, according to the scientific literature, into something requiring signifi- cantly more time, money and data. I’m in favor of updating the regula- tory system, and the industry needs to work together and with the government to provide guidance, expertise, and feedback throughout the process. We need real-world researchers and people who understand science and agriculture, and all its complexities, in government and helping to set the foundation for an updated regulatory framework. There are a lot of revenues to be earned from products of this type and we need to be certain that our conflict of interest in how we are regulated does not outweigh honest application of scientific results. There are a number of associations work- ing on this front; I encourage you to get involved, provide feedback and your expertise and help to get a framework in place that can take us into the future and support the goal of increasing production while using fewer resources for a growing global population. MOLLY CADLE-DAVIDSON, ABM CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER @ABM1st • Mollycadle-davidson@abm1st.com • abm1st.com ANYONE WHO HAS worked in a seed- handling facility knows that you can clean your facility and within 24 hours it will be dusty again - it’s just the nature of the business. Some might believe that creat- ing a low-dust environment will happen “when pigs fly.” Let me tell you, we’ve got some flying pigs. In the past several years, companies, operators and employees have become less tolerant of dust for a number of reasons, including operator health, equip- ment longevity, treatment costs and environmental stewardship. We didn’t just listen and sit back. We took action and as a result have designed a dust extraction system and a seed filtration system. The dust extraction system sits on top of the hopper and extracts the dust outside the facility using a blower fan spe- cifically sized for each particular system. Its purpose is two-fold: to create a cleaner facility and to provide a more operator- friendly environment. While the dust extraction system benefits the operator and longevity of the equipment in the facility, the seed filtration system (patent pending) is there to make the seed treatment process better. As seed is moved to the treater, we introduce air and run it through a double filtration system, which removes any remaining dust, half seeds and hulls from the seed. This means you’re not applying a treatment to debris, which will never germinate, or to dust, which could gum up your system Going Above And Beyond In The Removal Of Dust And Debris JASON KAEB KSI CONVEYORS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT @jasonkaeb_ksi • JasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.com • KSiConveyors.com and/or, eventually, the planter in the field. What makes this unique is that the seed filtration system features a closed- loop, in-line filtration system, completely recirculating the filtered air so that nothing goes outside or back into the environment. Our seed filtration system is undergoing advanced testing and lab analysis in some of the world’s most advanced research and testing facilities. We are doing a limited release of the seed filtration system for spring 2018. Remember: Taking a proactive approach often yields a better outcome and improves relationships versus taking a reactive approach, which is often driven by an unfortunate event or regulatory pressures.