Enkhuizen, The Netherlands
May 16, 2016
Priming of commercial seeds is used in order to obtain rapid and uniform crop emergence. This seed preparation method, however, is costly and time-consuming. In a joint effort to develop a faster, ecological and more cost-efficient alternative, the Swedish company Nelson Seed Development now presents an ecological and fully automated process (including drying!) called seed vitalisation. The automated equipment is developed together with Seed Processing Holland.
The basic principle
By finely tuned interaction of air and water, vitalisation initiates the first stages of seed germination. With supreme accuracy, the process is then stopped just before the radicle is about to go through the seed coat. This is the key factor behind the excellent storability and the rapid, uniform crop emergence offered by vitalised seeds – henceforth branded as Optigrow® seeds.
Storability – a key factor at many levels
A major benefit offered by vitalisation is the excellent storability that it brings to seeds over time. This has a massive impact at many levels.
For seed distributors, storability is a first-rate profitability factor affecting the flexibility in their timing of seed preparation, the commercial life (shelf-life) for each batch of seeds and the capacity for on-demand deliveries.
For end-users, the preserved vigour of the seeds allow them to do sowing when the conditions are optimal.
The process equipment - scalable and tuned continuously
The vitalisation is performed in 90 litre cabinets controlled by a unit for control and data processing – Tech 90. The entire system is called Optigrow Vitaliser and will be introduced to seed suppliers worldwide during late May this year.
The modular structure of the process section allows a gradual expansion of the capacity. Each Tech 90 unit can support up to four 90 litres modules.
Documentation from vitalising a great variety of seeds is stored and held readily available in the comprehensive Bank of Experience at the Nelson Group plant in Sweden. This way, seed suppliers can always be offered the code for optimal tuning of the process – regardless of species, variety or geographical origin of the seed.
The equipment is manufactured by the well-known Seed Processing Holland. They will also be the equipment retail dealer and will perform global service & maintenance.
Cost and time efficient - The vitalisation can be done in-house at the seed company
Already the fact that vitalisation can be performed in-house of the seed company implies reduced costs for transport and handling.
The quick process in combining that drying is included in the automated process, the total cost for logistics and manual labour can be reduced considerably.
Vitalisation can be completed within a span of 1 – 3 days for most species.
Vitalisation is fully ecological, and therefore has an interesting potential on a market where rapid expansion can be predicted.
Early field emergence, breaking seed dormancy, uniform crops and strong weed competition are additional benefits offered by vitalised seeds.
Impact on profitability, competition and market structure
The vitalisation process was developed by the R & D department of Nelson Seed Development, who also designed the process equipment. Mr Torsten Nilsson, main owner and managing director within the Nelson Group, concludes:
“The Optigro Vitaliser 90 is designed for in-house use at the customers own facilities. It is designed not only for high value seed but also for larger volumes, where all time and logistics makes the business not profitable today.
With its obvious potential to cut the costs connected to short process time, logistics, `shelf mortality` and orders lost due to time shortage, vitalisation will most likely have a powerful effect upon the competitive power of its users – especially so when you add the positive properties brought with vitalised seeds. In the long run, this will probably have an effect on the market structure of our industry.”
We will inform our customers at the ISF Seed congress in Uruguay. If you or your company colleagues are attending this congress and like to meet us, please stop by at our table 101.
For more information
Mr Torsten Nilsson, Managing Director, Nelson Seed Development AB and main owner of The Nelson Group.
Cell phone: +46 70 665 11 00 E-mail: torsten.nilsson@nelsonseed.se
A remarkable joint effort!
The development of Automated Seed Vitalisation was possible by the capital and seed expertise provided by the stakeholders of the project.
The Kamprad Family Foundation, Entreprenörinvest i Sverige AB
– Mr Ingvar Kamprad is the founder of IKEA
Nelson Seed Development
– A company within the Nelson Garden group, the leading Scandinavian seed company and an instrumental force in the technological development within this dynamic field. www.nelsonseed.se
Seed Processing Holland B.V.
– A global leader in engineering and manufacturing of seed processing machinery and the company manufacturing, selling and servicing the Optigrow Vitaliser equipment. www.seedprocessing.com
RELATED INFORMATION
Seed vitalisation: a revolutionary, ecological method with unique storability
As a result of years of extensive research to optimise techniques for improving seed quality, the head of Nelson Garden’s R&D department has developed a new revolutionary, ecological method. The invention makes it possible to achieve the benefits of seed priming while at the same time maintaining the vigour and germination capacity of the seeds over time.
The method, which works for most species, has been developed from laboratory scale to a prototype of a machine that can perform the seed vitalisation in a mechanical environment. This work was supported by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova. Now Nelson Garden continue to scale up the equipment to commercially viable volulmes. Vitalised seeds will be marketed globally under the name Optigrow® and are aimed at both proffesional growers and hobby gardeners. The seed vitalisation also opens up new, excellent opportunities for the organic market.
Seed vitalisation
The seed vitalisation method enhances the germination performance. Vitalised seeds germinate faster and more uniformly than untreated seeds, and the germination capacity is often improved as well. There are many advantages with the Optigrow® seeds, such as:
- Superior shelf-life allows for long storage
- Faster emergence and earlier crop development
- More uniform crop stands
- More vigorous seedlings
- Stronger weed competition
- Improved germination and seedling emergence under sub-optimal conditions (unfavourable temperatures and deficiency or excess of soil moisture)
- Improved yield potential and quality of the harvest
- A method to overcome seed dormancy
Tomato seedlings - untreated seed and Optigrow seed
Early emergence and crop establishment may enable earlier harvest, or extend the growing season with possibilities for extra production cycles in fast crops and in transplant production. Improved germination capacity and more vigorous seedlings also increase the final population and percentage of usable transplants. Uniform crops facilitate crop management and in some crops also the harvest and quality of the harvested products. Vigorous seedlings are better equipped to cope with stress. The seed vitalisation washes away fungi and bacteria from the seed coat and reduces primary infections of seed-borne diseases. Stronger seedlings and healthier stands decrease the need for chemical crop protection. Strong weed competition and uniform crops favour efficient weed control and reduce the use of herbicides. These factors all contribute to improved productivity and profitability in plant production.
Vitalisation effect in sweet pepper
Germination speed and capacity for vitalised and untreated seeds
Shelf-life results for onion
Germination speed and capacity for vitalised and untreated seeds after 18 months storage at room conditions
Looking for more information: Please send your contact information to info@nelsonseed.se
What makes the Optigrow® seeds unique?
The method Nelson Garden has developed is fully ecological and it does not only enhance the vigour, but also maintains seed storability over a long time. To distinguish this technique from current priming practices, the innovative, patent-protected method is called seed vitalisation. Competitive advantages with Nelson Garden seed vitalisation method compared to traditional priming:
- The vitalisation process is optimised to prevent deterioration of the seed quality over longer time. The unique shelf-life makes it possible to store vitalised seeds longer
- The vitalisation is conducted without adding any chemicals; with only water and air involved, the method is completely ecological and can therefore also be used for treating organic seeds.
- The process is both time- and resource efficient, which makes it commercially viable to treat a broader range of species and varieties from different market segments.
As a result of years of extensive research to optimise techniques for improving seed quality, the head of Nelson Garden’s R&D department has developed a new revolutionary, ecological method. The invention makes it possible to achieve the benefits of seed priming while at the same time maintaining the vigour and germination capacity of the seeds over time.
The method, which works for most species, has been developed from laboratory scale to a prototype of a machine that can perform the seed vitalisation in a mechanical environment. This work was supported by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova. Now Nelson Garden continue to scale up the equipment to commercially viable volulmes. Vitalised seeds will be marketed globally under the name Optigrow® and are aimed at both proffesional growers and hobby gardeners. The seed vitalisation also opens up new, excellent opportunities for the organic market.
Seed vitalisation
The seed vitalisation method enhances the germination performance. Vitalised seeds germinate faster and more uniformly than untreated seeds, and the germination capacity is often improved as well. There are many advantages with the Optigrow® seeds, such as:
• Superior shelf-life allows for long storage
• Faster emergence and earlier crop development
• More uniform crop stands
• More vigorous seedlings
• Stronger weed competition
• Improved germination and seedling emergence under sub-optimal conditions (unfavourable temperatures and deficiency or excess of soil moisture)
• Improved yield potential and quality of the harvest
• A method to overcome seed dormancy
|
| Tomato seedlings - untreated seed and Optigrow seed |
Early emergence and crop establishment may enable earlier harvest, or extend the growing season with possibilities for extra production cycles in fast crops and in transplant production. Improved germination capacity and more vigorous seedlings also increase the final population and percentage of usable transplants. Uniform crops facilitate crop management and in some crops also the harvest and quality of the harvested products. Vigorous seedlings are better equipped to cope with stress. The seed vitalisation washes away fungi and bacteria from the seed coat and reduces primary infections of seed-borne diseases. Stronger seedlings and healthier stands decrease the need for chemical crop protection. Strong weed competition and uniform crops favour efficient weed control and reduce the use of herbicides. These factors all contribute to improved productivity and profitability in plant production.
Vitalisation effect in sweet pepper
Germination speed and capacity for vitalised and untreated seeds
Shelf-life results for onion
Germination speed and capacity for vitalised and untreated seeds
after 18 months storage at room conditions
Looking for more information: Please send your contact information to info@nelsonseed.se
- See more at: http://www.nelsongarden.se/swe/sek/i/seed-vitalisation_5248#sthash.zj4BxAte.dpuf
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