At BrettYoung, seed quality is critical to our business. Whether it’s forage, turf, canola seed, or something else entirely, our seed lab analysts monitor seed quality throughout our processes to ensure it’s of the highest standard.
On our home site in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we have 10 seed lab analysts working in our accredited seed lab. They work with crops of all kinds — perennial ryegrass, annual ryegrass, fescue, wheat, alfalfa, canola, timothy, and more. Day in and day out, the analysts are checking every seed that goes in and out of our facility for purity and germination.
- A purity test checks for contaminants like weeds and other crops within the seed. It’s critical to manage weeds and other crops that can be spread through seed and may be prohibited in certain regions.
- A germination test has the seed lab analysts grow out the seed in growth chambers called germinators to ensure the seed will grow when planted by the customer.
A seed sample goes through our seed lab at least four times for each crop. It comes through after harvest, delivery, post-cleaning, and after packaging, ensuring it meets our customer needs. Each year, the seed lab analysts will test more than 7,000 samples.
Seed Lab Manager Angela Pouteau said weeds are the biggest quality issues the lab sees, and with small seed crops like alfalfa, they can be hard to clean out. Certain weeds aren’t permitted in certain markets and different weeds pop up with different weather patterns, so our seed lab analysts are constantly putting in overtime to get the results they need in a timely manner.
Analysts also problem solve daily, figuring out why there’s low germ or breaking seed dormancy with different methods.
“We test everything from the beginning to the end,” said Pouteau. “Straight from the field after harvest, they bring in samples for testing. We test everything for where it’s being sent to.”
That means they’re looking at different things for different markets and are always on their toes. Pouteau said their team of 10 is like a family, constantly working together to identify issues and get the work done.
Being a seed lab analyst is not easy. There’s a lot of knowledge that goes into it, and to get accredited, you first have to work in an accredited lab under an accredited analyst, then write an exam. Upon passing, the now-accredited seed lab analysts get the certified seed stamp and the title.
“You don’t learn this overnight,” said Brittany Kehler, assistant lab manager. “You spend time honing in the craft. It takes years to learn everything.”
Kehler and Pouteau are accredited in both Canada and the USA, which allows BrettYoung seeds to move across the border.
Together our seed analysis ensure our seed quality remains high to keep our customers happy and our business moving forward.
