44 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2018 Sorter Explorer Robotics and Machine Learning for the Seed Industry Discover innovative new sorting solutions for corn, soybean and wheat CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION sales@qualysense.com +41 44 824 35 86 qualysense.com Sorter Explorer Increase Purity and Eliminate Discards Is your batch not meeting purity specs for germination, hybridity (selfs) and physical purity? Do you have to discard inventory because you cannot remove out of specs? Our experts can help you implement cus- tomized sorting solutions that will increase purity and release your product out the door! Every Kernel Counts Tired of inefficiencies during cleaning and sorting because you lose too many good seeds? Do you have to reclean and repass multiple times during peak season? At QualySense, every kernel counts! Our goal is to put more money in our customers’ pocket by reducing waste and increasing productivity. Better Inbred Lines with Less Cost How many thousands of seeds do you have to waste during testing before releasing a few right inbred lines to the next genera- tion? QSorter lets you enhance population size to come up with better inbred lines and reduces wet-chem, molecular testing and green housing by using targeted identifi- cation. How the QSorter Technology Works The proprietary and unique QSorter technology combines robotics and machine learning to measure multiple quality param- eters of each seed in just one pass at the speed of light, from 20 to 4,000 seeds per second. Seeds are first analyzed with 3D imaging and hyperspectral spectroscopy so that external and internal traits can be measured and then sorted with a 99% accuracy. Today, market leaders have adopted QualySense’s sorting solutions across 3 continents and are boosting efficien- cy in various fields, from R&D to production. Drought tolerance is another important characteristic for new varieties coming to the market. DLF International Seeds is one company that’s doing more work with grasses that use less water and require less overall maintenance, including mowing. With the anticipation of more states and localities regulating the use of water, Rick Myers, vice president of sales for DLF International Seeds says, “We’re trying to develop varieties that require fewer inputs, such as chemicals, fertilizer and water.” Lawn care companies will need to operate within those con- straints. Myers says they are doing their part with grass seed. Mountain View Seeds is one company that works to find the best genetics. “Our commitment to intensive research results in a propri- etary program of turf and forage grass varieties has earned worldwide respect through our research affiliate, Peak Plant Genetics,” shares Troy Kuenzi, Mountain View Seeds president. He explains that as part of their research and innovation pro- cess, they question leading researchers and professionals and consult with their distributor partners. We try to identify emerging industry trends and from there, plan our programs to meet those identified needs, Kuenzi says. Each year, Mountain View Seeds screens thousands of plants in greenhouses, fields and demonstration trials. Of those, Kuenzi says only a handful are selected for a five- to 10-year develop- ment program, which eventually qualify to carry the MVS logo. Production Challenges One of the important practices in grass production is to burn the stubble, which helps get the desired big seed. But in many areas, that practice has been banned because of smoke prob- lems, Meyer says. However, this is not a new issue — farmers have been dealing with that since the 80s. Since then, they’ve come up with systems that clip the grass closely and vacuum up any debris on the ground. The challenge most farmers face today is voles. There’s always a complication when you’ve got change, says Meyer. Shifting Production Areas Between Hermiston and the Columbia River, there are 60,000 circles of 120 acres each where grass seed is grown, but grass must compete with other crops and price can be a big influencer. Other crops include potatoes, sweet onions, corn and alfalfa. “The competition for ground is so intense right now that growers just aren’t willing to take a risk on varieties that have not proven to be very good producers.” — Troy Kuenzi