Grainswest - Tech 2026

Tech 2026 Grains West 12 OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, MANY Alberta seed plants have modernized operations with the cutting-edge equip- ment of the day. Such enhancements benefit customers and staff. “Whether it’s a farm or a seed plant, technology drives results,” said Monica Klaas, general man- ager of Alberta Seed Processors. “The more you produce from one square foot of plant space, the better your bottom line.” Though this modernization has spanned two decades, it has not proceed- ed in a straight line. “Upgrading facilities stalled during the COVID-19 years,” said Klaas. “Post-pandemic, many plants are in a financial position to spend, and low- er interest rates make investing in new technology pencil out.” As well, a greater array of industrial equipment suited to agricultural facilities is available than in the past. One of the greatest gamechangers is the optical sorter. The Bashaw Seed Cleaning Co-op was the first in Alberta to adopt this equipment around 2005. This technology employs a high resolu- tion camera to separate incoming seeds by colour and density. While mechanical sorters, for example, had difficulty distin- guishing between wild oats and com- mercial oats, optical sorters can easily extract the darker, denser wild oats. To date, about half of Alberta seed plants use these sorters. Purchase and installation are costly and the units require large compressors as well as a climate-controlled environment, which makes them practical for facilities that handle well over 250,000 bushels per year. “With large volume plants, technol- ogy saves time and money and improves quality, so it makes good business sense to adopt technology,” said Klaas. Sorters are the lead actors, but equip- ment such as monitors and heat sensors play a supporting role. The substantial heat generated by equipment can be a source of ignition when grain dust is present. “To address the danger, monitors and sensors act as early warning systems that are key to risk management,” said Klaas. New quality control equipment is also being adopted. Certain plants have installed metal detectors to prevent con- tamination by metal filings or shavings Seedplantmodernizationongoing New equipment and software improves operations Post-pandemic, seed plants have taken advantage of low interest rates and greater equipment choice to upgrade processing technology. The Strathmore Seed Cleaning Plant, pictured here, depends on a fully automated programmable logic controller that plugs into the facility’s machinery to ensure grain flows smoothly. THE FARMGATE