A Reflection From Ioana Stroe Winnipeg Laboratory Manager and SR Seed Analyst at 20/20 Seed Labs Inc. On Her Experience at EMILI – Producer Day June 11 with Bushel Plus
A healthy crowd of seed growers gathered at Innovation Farms on June 11 to learn more about grain loss prevention during harvest season. Marcel Kringe and his team from Bushel Plus energized the day with passionate, hands-on demonstrations of practices and tools designed to improve harvest efficiency and accuracy.
As a seed analyst, participating in this event gave me valuable insight into why we often detect mechanical damage in seeds during testing—and I wanted to share that perspective with everyone there. Using a few slides, I spoke about seed morphology and the critical role that careful handling plays in preserving seed quality. Mechanical damage can be either external (such as seed coat fissures) or internal (impacting the seed’s ability to germinate and maintain vigour). When it comes to seed conditioning, processing, and handling, less is more.
During combining, grain that falls through the concave, top sieve, and bottom sieve enters the clean grain elevator. However, grain that goes over the top sieve at the back is discarded—essentially lost. Grain that falls behind the bottom sieve enters the return elevator and cycles through again. Small adjustments to settings, proper calibration, continuous data monitoring, and using the right accessories can make a significant difference—not only in reducing grain loss during threshing but also in minimizing mechanical damage to seeds.
Tips:
- Ensure proper settings and functioning of your equipment
- Train your harvest team to prevent quality-robbing crop damage
- Plan for optimal storage conditions
Cheers to “Never stop growing!”
– Ioana
