Soybeans: The season for soybean field inspection will be here soon. If you have not yet submitted your field inspection application to MCIA, please get it in as soon as possible. This will allow our field inspectors to plan for an efficient and timely inspection season.
Small Grains: You can still have your small grain field inspected! To add a field contact your MCIA field supervisor.
By Kris Folland, Field Services Manager
As of June 1, it is no secret that spring is still “here” in many parts of the state. With planting delayed, MCIA is also here—to serve our members. If you have any changes or questions about inspection or certification, please contact your MCIA field supervisor or the MCIA office.
As noted earlier in Propagation, Keith Marti recently joined the Field Services staff, filling our District 3 field supervisor position. Keith is a great addition to our staff! He already has boots on the ground, is conducting field inspections, and meeting MCIA’s members in southeast Minnesota.
As we know, summer will quickly transition to fall. So, remember that cover crops and anything planted as seed must follow all provisions of Plant Variety Protection, Minnesota Seed Law, and technology agreements. MCIA members with certified seed that is available for cover crop use may have opportunities for more sales this year.
The entire Field Services staff wishes you a safe and bountiful crop year. Remember, if you have questions give us a call, otherwise, we look forward to seeing you in the field this growing season!
We are currently accepting field inspection applications. Due to extreme planting conditions, MCIA has granted an extension for small grain and soybean applications. See revised deadlines, below. If you need additional time, please contact the MCIA office. Late fees will not apply until after these dates.
Remember to include tags or bulk certificates as your proof of seed source.
FIELD INSPECTION APPLICATION DEADLINES
The Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism presented their Visionary Star Ag Award to MCIA Field Supervisor Dan Krenz at the Chamber’s annual gala in Redwood Falls on April 2, 2022.
The award honors an area ag producer or ag-related businessperson who works to better the community and educate and advocate for agriculture. The award recognizes individuals in the field of agriculture who give of themselves, their time, their talents, and their resource to the Redwood Falls community in such a way that the entire community benefits.
In a prepared statement, Anne Johnson, Executive Director of the Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism, said, “Dan Krenz has been engaged in the Chamber Ag Committee for more than five years and continues to rise to the occasion. Dan gives of his time and talents and helps with Fifth Grade Ag Day, promotes our industry regularly, and even recently spent a day at Reed Gray Elementary reading agriculture stories during Ag Week. He has also shared his love for ag with the I Met a Farmer Tour and supported and promoted the Chamber Ag Golf Days.”
His nominator writes of Dan, “We are grateful for his passion and continued desire to promote agriculture and the wide array of careers ag provides.”
Congratulations Dan!
*
For more information about the Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism, please visit https://redwoodfalls.org.
Reminders
Each year, there are some growers from whom we do not initially receive all the information necessary to complete field inspection. In those cases, we need to do follow-up work. So, as the planting season begins, we remind field inspection clients to keep accurate records and:
Your MCIA field supervisor or the MCIA Office staff can answer any questions you may have about the field inspection process.
Field Inspection Application Deadlines
Please note these dates to avoid late fees:
We will mail information packets for Field Inspection Applications in May. Application forms and instructions are also available on the Client Resources page of the MCIA website.
By Kris Folland, MCIA Field Services Manager
Jack London described the ending of winter by saying, “The ghostly winter silence had given way to the great spring murmur of awakening life.” We can all appreciate the silence of winter in some areas, from Minnesota to the Yukon Territories, but in the world of MCIA members winter is anything but silent. MCIA has 177 approved facilities that are humming along to the sounds of trucks unloading, conveyors and augers purring, cleaning and sizing equipment shaking and spinning, and the beautiful sound of clean certified seed making the first splash into a clean bin.
As time goes by, the value of certified seed of known genetics, purity, and germination continues to be one of the best values in crop production. The Field Services staff is rarely contacted about any issues with certified seed. However, issues with non-certified, bin-run seed are often brought up by growers. The presence of other crop, poor germination, weeds, purity, hilum colors mixed up, and other obvious seed quality issues seem to follow the sale of this type of seed. (I’m not sure we should even call some of it seed.)
MCIA field supervisors have been busy visiting each facility. One major upgrade we are discussing is the Pure Harvest program for making bulk seed sales certificates. The system can now easily link your certified seed lots and has many upgrades for quick and accurate bulk seed sales certificates for your customers. As you read this, we should be close to finishing training; we will be here to help answer all your questions into the spring planting season.
Please remember that the sooner the MCIA Seed Laboratory receives your samples, the sooner test results will be completed on seed lots. Do not wait until the last minute to mail in samples!
The release of the newest UMN wheat variety, MN-Rothsay, has attracted a lot of interest. The entire supply will be planted this year and will be available as registered seed after harvest. The supply of wheat appears adequate, but as always, some varieties may be in short supply into spring. We are fielding many phone calls of growers trying to secure registered and certified seed of some varieties of wheat, barley, and oats that are in short supply. Overall quality of seed last year has been excellent. Early sales of certified seed this year are starting to look like a bargain and good communication between seed suppliers and growers will be helpful for all parties.
Reminders:
MCIA is seeking qualified candidates for the position of field supervisor. An MCIA field supervisor’s responsibilities include conducting field inspections for certified and non-certified acres of crops, inspecting seed conditioning facilities, and managing an inspection crew. Field supervisors also perform audits of various MCIA audit-based services.
This home office-based position will be located in southeast Minnesota (District 3). It is a full-time position with a competitive salary and full benefits package.
The job application deadline is March 15, 2022. For a detailed job description and instructions on how to apply, please visit: https://www.mncia.org/job-openings. MCIA is an equal opportunity employer.
MCIA’s Field Services staff reflect on the year past:
“The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.”
—Will Rogers
The past year is now history and despite many challenges there were many highlights. The optimism of both MCIA and our members is very high.
Last winter the seed supply was adequate, and the value of certified seed was evident by the strong seed sales. Cover crop seed continues to be a popular topic and MCIA and other agencies have continued to educate and promote the use of certified seed. All seed planted must follow the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA), State and Federal Seed Law, and technology use agreements.
The use of tested and known seed genetics is the starting point for success when planting. The increased awareness of noxious weeds and invasive species such as Palmer amaranth are another reason to use known seed for grain, forage, cover crop, and all seed needs. The introduction of undesirable species on to your farm may be the gift that keeps on giving, and that is a gift you do not want.
Demand for certified straw remained strong into the summer months. Some types and sizes of “certified straw” ran out of inventory and growers and suppliers quickly made plans as the new crop was harvested. Due to it being a dry year, overall straw production is down, and certified acres were down slightly from last year.
Certified small grain acres were lower at the beginning of the growing season. However, while growers were optimistic about the crop, when the drought began to show they were also realistic about how it might affect yields. To ensure an adequate supply of certified seed for next year, growers, seed companies, and MCIA worked together to quickly enroll eligible acres. As a result, despite a record-setting drought in the heart of wheat country, the supply of certified seed is adequate going into the winter months.
On the other hand, oat acres were down, and demand is up. So, check the MCIA 2022 Directory or with your local seed grower to secure your seed needs as some small grain varieties may be in short supply.
The field staff has begun making facility inspections and will be assisting all growers and approved facilities with updated Bulk Seed Sale Certificates. The online program is getting a fresh look and improved design for quicker and easier printing. Reminder for all certified seed sold in bags, totes, or portable bulk bags: Attach a proper and accurate certified seed label (tag).
With the stresses of drought mostly behind us and a blanket of snow now covering many areas of the state, it is time to turn towards the optimism of the new year.
The season for soybean field inspection will be here soon. We remind growers who have not yet submitted their field inspection applications to get them in as soon as possible. This will allow field inspectors to plan for an efficient and timely inspection season.
A reminder to forage and mulch producers: Bales are not certified until a certification label is securely attached to each bale prior to delivery to the buyer. Misuse of certification tags may result in loss of certification privileges.
We remind growers of small grain seed to have your fields inspected before you harvest! If you do not have a field inspection report, contact your MCIA field supervisor. Do not harvest unless you are sure your field has been inspected. We can still accept applications for small grain field inspections. If you need to add a field, contact the MCIA office or your field supervisor.
Dry weather conditions may affect seed production locally and regionally. MCIA members can still request inspection for eligible fields. Growers that want to add certified seed acres may apply at any time prior to harvest or within the inspection window. Note that late fees will be charged for late applications.
Growers may also carryover all certified seed classes; this includes conditioned and unconditioned seed. For conditioned seed that has previously been tested, a new germination test would be needed prior to selling. For unconditioned carryover seed, standard testing would be needed after conditioning has been completed. Growers with carryover seed can be listed in the 2022 MCIA Directory (see post below).
