46 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2017 PELLETIZED SEED CORN always seemed far-fetched. I first heard of the concept during a presentation at the University of California, Davis, during a group discussion, but you can expect that at Davis. Considering other high-flying topics included things like artificial polli- nators (What like robotic bees? Yup.) and synthetic seed (Already doin’ it.), I passed it off as not practically feasible. It was just academic talk … that was until it came up at Iowa State University — smack dab in the Corn Belt. That got my attention. Why and what would be the impact? From my standpoint, change doesn’t happen for the sake of change; it happens for economic reasons. Inevitably, the con- sumer drives change — it’s called demand. I will come back to this, but first let’s look at it from the perspective of a seed producer. Seed companies in North America go to great lengths to create four to six sizes of corn seed. Sizing is a fundamental pro- cess that’s part of any corn seed facility. It takes up both vertical and horizontal space and requires multiple pieces of equipment. Once the seed is sized, re-blending would be crazy. This means additional storage is required to hold segregated sizes. Most facilities size seed prior to gravity separation, as gravity is proven to work better with sized particles. However, most facilities don’t have gravity separator capacity to continuously run four different size lots. This requires a lot of effort, space, time and money. Although there are potential efficien- cies to be gained by eliminating the sizing operation, it would introduce new costs to make it work well. How about new treating and drying equipment capable of handling pellets? There is equipment on the market that can handle capacities necessary for commodity crop runs. Many facilities are upgrading this part of their operation because of increasing treatment rates. Robotic Bees, Synthetic Seed, Pelletized Seed Corn — No Longer a Pipedream JON MORELAND EES COMPANIES SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES JMoreland@EESCompanies.com • eescompanies.com The additional inputs to handle pelletizing would be minimal. It might also make sense to take some of the efficiencies gained and invest in new technologies such as advanced optical sorting for the seed kernel or optical sorting of the cob upstream at the husk/sort stage. Both increase final seed quality. Now back to the consumer as the initial catalyst to change. Historically, sizing was driven by limitations of planting equipment. This is no longer the case. Planting equip- ment has evolved to be flexible, allowing for precision but with tolerance for seed inconsistencies. Now sizing is driven by aesthetics and customer demand because the visual aspect of your seed equates to quality in the grower’s mind. So why not give them a beautiful pellet of their color choice? Inevitably, if it gives the customer a better product, won’t that create demand … and change? IN A GIVEN day, you’ll likely catch local news on TV, check Twitter and Facebook, scan your usual websites and hear some- thing of interest on the radio. Lost in these seemingly ordinary activities is that you are consuming information at each interaction. Over time, this accumulation builds your knowledge base and informs your decisions. Most people consume news without put- ting much thought into it. This passive activ- ity leads one to gravitate to news confirming what they already believe. Rather than picking up bits and pieces from a variety of random stories, intention- ally seek out topics that will diversify your knowledge and expand your understanding of industry issues. Below are three ways to diversify the information you receive. Learn about issues outside of agri- culture. Issues that impact seed compa- nies are not usually unique to agriculture. Government regulation, consolidation and workforce challenges are issues that many industries share. How other industries manage those challenges can be trans- lated to strategies for seed companies struggling with the same issues. I recom- mend choosing two to three non ag indus- tries to follow and study. This will expand your knowledge of challenges faced by other companies and how non-ag compa- nies deal with them. Listen to and read perspectives from credible sources you disagree with. This is a hard one, but it can also be the most rewarding. Listening to and understanding arguments against a position you hold can be invaluable. A common challenge in agriculture is being able to communicate the benefits of modern ag to an urban or How Do You Know What You Know? JIM SCHWEIGERT GRO ALLIANCE PRESIDENT @jim_schweigert • jim.schweigert@groalliance.com • GroAlliance.com non-farm audience. Your ability to effec- tively ag-vocate will be greatly enhanced by studying the positions of the opposition. Turn news consumption into an active pursuit. I review the websites I frequent and what I follow on social media every few months. If you ask a few key questions about what you click on and what appears in your social media feed, you can make drastic changes in the information you see. • Is my understanding of key issues increasing? • Can I use information from these sources to benefit personally and professionally? • Have I learned something new? Knowledge is power. By taking an active approach to consuming information, you’ll diversify the sources of information, increase your understanding of key issues and improve yourself and your company.