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Canadian cereals in 2016. If a seed test detects the disease, the
farmer can choose not to market that seed or to have it treated.
“Our environment is constantly changing, and with that comes
new diseases with different vectors,” said Foster. “There are at
least 10 we look for no matter where you grow, but there are
diseases specific to different crops and regions.”
Set out by the International Seed Testing Association,
testing is globally standardized. In Canada, the CFIA enforces
additional regulations. “We provide feedback on how to
improve the tests, and we work with the CFIA to ensure
our findings are consistent,” said Gelech. One such recent
improvement pertinent to cereals is that fractions of ergot
bodies now count toward total tolerance limits.
In Western Canada, vigour tests are increasingly important
in assessing seed performance in poor conditions. As cool
springs can heavily impact growth, vigour tests include a cool
stress test to determine seed performance under conditions
that simulate cold, wet, early-spring planting.
Foster said that in the last five years there has been an
increase in the variety of seed tests and combinations of tests
her lab is asked to conduct. As precision farming requires
greater uniformity, automated, robotic equipment is used to
carry out repetitive tasks such as pipetting chemicals into vials
for molecular testing. “Seed testing has always been scientific,
but the process and the results are becoming more respected
as we become more precise,” said Foster. The lab is moving
from routine type testing to more advanced technologies that
include advanced vigour.
Advanced vigour is used to determine the full potential
of the seed by establishing a number that will equate
to precision seeding under various field conditions. An
innovation that’s aimed at the farm bottom line, multi-test
suites are better able to determine a seed lot’s ability to
withstand environmental stresses and so paint a better picture
of actual field performance. Molecular testing for disease,
traits, GMO (genetically modified organism) verification
and varietal identification is likewise steadily advancing.
Molecular testing in particular is now coming to replace the
traditional testing method of placing seeds on agar plates and
monitoring them for disease growth; molecular testing offers
quicker turnaround, greater accuracy and the ability to target
particular diseases.
“We also do more digital imaging where we use X-ray
technology,” said Foster. While molecular testing analyzes
genes and proteins to determine, among other things, which
variety of seed and what diseases are present in samples, X-ray
examination can determine the integrity and condition of the
seed’s internal structure. This has been very effective with
corn, soybean and peas, but is now starting to be used with
cereals. Deficiencies such as sprouting activity, fissures and
cracks or missing seed coat portions are immediately evident.
Digital technology is also used by labs to speed turnaround.
While mandated tests such as germination cannot be sped up,
digital technology can provide farmers with faster access to
additional data points so they can make timely management
decisions.
Alberta Seed Processors has initiated the Seed Smart
program, which partners its member facilities with
commercial seed testing labs to encourage customers to
test for more than germination. “We have put together a
package of tests to encourage seed growers to see the types
of information they can get from their seed,” said Foster.
“Especially for the high-value, high-tech seed, there is a wide
variety of data that can be found in these tests and help in
marketing their products.”
Seed technology will be increasingly important in improving
yields to feed a growing world population, she continued.
“In new seed varieties, we’re going to see more drought and
salinity tolerance. We will push the boundaries of what can be
grown. This high-tech seed is going to be more expensive,
so we are going to be increasingly careful about what we put
in the ground. As seed scientists, we will be able to provide
more value by helping to make sure the seed will perform as
promised.”
The laboratory seed-testing process has become more elaborate in recent years,
producing better assessments of potential field performance.