GrainsWest Fall 2019

Tech 2019 Grains West 36 STORM SYSTEM Many farmers make seed treatment part of their pre-seeding routine. And although most don’t like to see a storm at seeding, they may feel more comfortable with a STORM portable seed treater. The acronym stands for Seed Treatment Optimized Rate Metering. The seed treater is for all farmers, but also an excellent choice for those working on a just-in-time schedule. “There’s no need for dirty bins or possible contaminated loads. You can treat and go right into the field,” said Leanne Marin, STORM product manager. The treater comes in two sizes—the FX, suitable for most farmers and the PRO, typically preferred by commercial seed growers and retailers. The FX handles up to 1,800 pounds per minute while the PRO is capable of up to 2,800 pounds of seed in the same 60 seconds. The main efficiency has been realized through a metered conveyor. The seed is metered directly from the source and the treater itself can handle crops as delicate as soybeans. The seed goes from the seed source into the unit’s conveyer to its treatment boot or atomizing chamber, depending on the model. Here, the treatment and conditioning is applied and the grain is off through a polyflight mixer to the truck. Beyond that, a farmer can hook up two different chemical totes through peristaltic pumps, depending on the desired makeup of their seed coat. Also, a peristaltic pump systemmeters treatment by matching accurately, through a calibration process, to the seed being metered through the conveyer. With his family, Ethan Klassen farms 9,500 acres in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Coaldale seed grower used to have a USC model capable of treating about 500 pounds of seed per hour. He upgraded to the Storm FX this spring, more than tripling his hourly treatment capacity overnight. “The way I had it figured—this treater versus the old one—I could spend an extra full week in the field instead of treating,” he said. “I have saved more time than I thought because of the cleanout, and calibration is so much quicker. That factored into the purchase—how much more efficient is it going to make me?” Klassen also noted his cleanout time has been greatly reduced, down from 90 minutes to between 30 and 45. The STORM has an electronic interface into which farmers can pre- program seed treatment jobs. These can also be downloaded for transfer to a computer. As well, the interface lets farmers program, in batch size, exactly how much seed they want to treat. According to Marin, if a farmer is short a few thousand pounds, they can go back, punch in their exact needs and treat the seed with no waste. Klassen, who produces many crops including soybeans said STORM’s conveyor system is gentle on seed. “As the science behind farming progresses, so does seed treating,” said Marin. “You do what you know best until you know better and then you do that.” With STORM, seed goes from the seed source into the conveyer, to its treatment boot, or atomizing chamber, depending on model for application of treatment and conditioning and off through a polyflight mixer to the truck. FEATURE