OCTOBER 2018 SEEDWORLD.COM / 25 JUST AS PLANTING equipment needs to be swapped out from seeding corn to drilling wheat, different adjustments need to be made to seed treatment equipment when going from treating a large seed to something much smaller, such as wheat. While the seed treatment equipment may have been purchased and set up to treat soybeans, that same equipment can do just as good a job treating wheat seed with the right adjustments. Here’s what you need to be checking: Cross Contamination. Small cereal seeds seem to find every crack, making cleanout a challenge. To prevent any cross contamination, conduct a thorough cleanout. If you’re evaluating equipment for purchase, consider equipment that is easily accessible for efficient cleanout. Flowability. Because small grains don’t flow as easily as soybeans, on some seed treaters, the drum tilt may need to be set at a steeper angle for a complete cleanout of the seed. Consider application equipment that doesn’t rely on gravity to discharge from the drum. Application Rate. Getting the right amount of seed treatment on each seed is important. Unlike with soybeans, small grains don’t get treated on a per seed basis. Instead, the application rates are on a per hundredweight (CWT) basis. Flow Rates. Even though you might be using the same product, application rates will vary. It may require the use of differ- ent hardware, such as pumps and hoses, to accommodate those variances. This is not a problem, so long as it’s planned for in advance and not an urgent need. Additionally, keep in mind that there will be different requirements for dry prod- ucts compared to wet, and differing water rates can change the look of coverage. Seed Metering. This may pose the biggest challenge. A seed wheel is setup to deliver a certain amount of seed based on a test weight taken by the user and input into the system. The system then 5 Checks to Ensure Seed Treatment Success with Small Grains JASON KAEB KSI CONVEYORS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT @jasonkaeb_ksi • JasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.com • KSiConveyors.com assumes that the seed wheel pockets are completely full every revolution. With the flowability challenges of different cereals, this doesn’t always happen, especially at a higher treatment rate. This alone is reason to slow your metering rate and ensure each seed wheel pocket is full. To help address this, KSi VariRate meters seed using the rate of change from a scale and an infinitely positioned scale gate to deliver a true weight rate of seed through the system. This eliminates the chal- lenge of flowability, and users can switch between small grains and soybeans without having to enter a cup weight or worry about making sure the seed wheel pockets are being kept full. If you check this list when switching from soybeans to cereals and small grains, you’ll have fewer headaches. Remember: At the end of the day, accuracy and stewardship when treating small grains and wheat is just as important as when treating soybeans. IN ONE OF OUR ad messages we used the phrase “Down time is the worst time.” Nothing gets done when equipment unexpectedly fails or breaks down. In Aesop’s Fables (a collection of fictional stories with an ethical or educational message that is credited to Aesop, an ancient Greek slave and storyteller), there is a meaningful story that concerns an arrogant hare who ridicules a slow- moving tortoise. Tired of the hare’s cocky attitude, the tortoise challenges a faster hare to a race. In the fable, the tortoise wins because the hare quickly gets tired and must stop to rest. The story still has meaning for us 2,500 years later. In today’s competitive business economy, neither the tortoise nor the hare has all that it takes to win the race. Being slow and steady will not necessarily win the race, nor speed without dependabil- ity. A winning combination combines the tortoise’s steadiness and reliability with the hare’s speed and quickness. Think about a machine’s speed and capacity. They are simple to measure and easy to compare. With a snippet of time and a stopwatch, capacity can be measured. There is always an intermedi- ate leader. Midway through every auto race, someone sits atop the leader board, but the prize money will be awarded to the one who completes the entire race and finishes first. An unexpected pit stop in a late lap is wasted time, or down time when a breakdown occurs during the busy season. Down time can determine a race’s winner. It can also determine whether a customer is pleased or frus- trated with your performance. Speed and capacity without reliability are less than a winning combination. Most seed tenders can quickly fill planters and seeders to minimize filling and waiting time. Augers and conveyors have capacity to move product quickly and safely. However, the race is a multiyear marathon, not a one-season sprint. Time will test a machine’s design and the integrity of its components — measured by down time. Down time is wasted time. It is most costly when time is of the essence at the height of planting or harvest. Being slow and steady will not win the race. Neither will speed without dependability. Meridian equipment is designed to include the best of both the hare and the tortoise. The Tortoise Needs the Hare to Win the Race GLENN FRIESEN MERIDIAN MANUFACTURING SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT @GfriesenGlenn • gfriesen@meridianmfg.com • meridianmfg.com