Seed Laboratory

Adriel Garay

OSU Seed Laboratory 2001 Highlights

Brief Description of ending year

1. As usual the peak season of 2001 presented great challenges but the lab was able to respond effectively.

2. Sample numbers were similar to previous years in the peak season but the number of multiple test requests (CW, SOD, UGS, etc) increased significantly from the previous years.

3. Before the season started the Lab asked all customers to streamline their test requests by including their multiple tests along with purity. Customers responded positively. As a result the lab was able to respond effectively to the increasing multiple tests. Customers were satisfied and this streamlining is highly desirable for the future.

4. Despite the large numbers of samples in the peak season and the significant increase in multiple testing, the backlog was lower than the previous year. However this was accomplished with great sacrifices in terms of overtime. Therefore the lab needs to keep innovating in terms of training, methods and equipment to gain greater efficiency.

Activities in progress for 2002:

1. As usual during the low season, the lab gets busy in prepara­tions for the next peak season:

   • working in several areas to streamline the testing process

   • in-service-training to increase experience of newer analysts

   • updating the Operations Quality Manual

2. The grow-out rule proposal, a product of the Oregon Ryegrass Fluorescence Committee and a national referee study, has been submitted to AOSA. This rule will be official support to use the grow out as a supplement to the fluorescence test in order to distinguish Annual Ryegrass from Perennial Ryegrass.

3. A national referee, to assess the amount of inert mater and pure seeds contained in the multiple florets of Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue, has been finished. A preliminary proposal was submitted to AOSA in order to avoid missing a deadline. The information has been discussed with the Oregon Seed Laboratories and there is a group feeling that we need to look at the data in more detail before making a definitive proposal. The lab will keep working in cooperation with other labs and will present the information to the industry groups.

4. The Ergovision system (short name for ergonomic high magnification system for purity testing), a model being developed by OSU in cooperation with Mater International, has been evaluated. It shows a significant gain in speed for clovers, bentgrass and bluegrass. It needs more work for tall fescue and ryegrass. The lab plans to continue this work.

5. Official calibrated blowing procedures have been very useful for improving uniformity and accuracy in separating inert matter from pure seed for bluegrass, orchardgrass and several other grasses. With some development, these procedures could be expanded to other grasses, and also used by seed cleaning operations to verify if they are cleaning enough to meet industry standards. OSU Seed Lab, with strong backing from private labs, is starting some preliminary work to improve the existing method. A research proposal will be prepared and research will start in 2002.

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