A good crop starts with good quality seed. As far as choosing that seed goes, most producers make that choice based on two factors, germ and vigour. Those two things are critical, but they don’t tell the whole story. The truth is that there are other unseen things that, if unaddressed can have a major negative impact on your crop. Something like fungal disease can be dealt with through treatment if it’s caught beforehand and treated accordingly. A proactive approach in dealing with potential seed issues is a strategy that should be applied from seed purchase to planting. Whether it’s testing, treating or making considerations for unknown pathogens in the soil, taking steps to know what’s going on with your seed is incredibly important.
Sarah Foster helps producers to do just that. She owns and operates 20/20 Seed Labs in Nisku, Alberta. For more than 22 years, 20/20 Seed Labs has provided all manner of seed testing services for both growers and seed industry members. Sarah shared some of that knowledge and experience with farmers at this years FarmTech conference when she spoke about the building blocks for complete seed quality.
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