
By Chase Mowry, Seed Laboratory Services Manager
The staff of the MCIA Seed Laboratory has been busy! This summer, interviews were conducted to fill two seed technologist positions. In September, we welcomed Amy Olson and Sean Manzano-Rabbitt to the staff.
Between samples, we completed various tasks such as calibrating equipment, stocking supplies, revising SOPs, and administering the annual customer satisfaction survey. Many thanks to those who took a moment to provide us with feedback. In August, Claire Chapman Biel attended a seed identification workshop at the Federal Seed Lab in Gastonia, North Carolina.
During the late summer through fall, we received a high volume of samples for testing. They included grasses, MnDOT mixtures, natives, and winter small grains. The winter small grains we tested had large variability in quality, as Fusarium infection was prevalent in many of the lots.
We received new equipment, including two new germinators, a purity scale, and a seed blower. We also inspected MCIA foundation soybean fields located on campus for certification and evaluated soybean grow-outs on material from last season as part of the post-control process. We led a tour of the Seed Laboratory for students of Fawad Shah’s class at the UMN, offering our perspective on seed testing processes. And finally, to fulfill ALS accreditation requirements, we submitted germination and purity proficiency test results on two white clover lots to USDA AMS for evaluation.