It’s funny how misconceptions can have so much impact on our decision-making process. For instance, when driving across the country, when you think about flat, tedious landscapes, what comes to mind? Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa? And when you envision a seed lab testing only a few species of seeds— predominately corn and soybeans—does the ISU Seed Lab come to mind because it is located in the middle of a vast expanse of corn and soybean fields? Well, as many of you are aware, Iowa is anything but flat—just ask anyone who rides a bike in RAGBRAI! And, in an average year analysts at the ISU Seed Lab test more than 100 different species of seeds. In fact, the ISU Seed Lab has tested for more than 300 species of seeds.
I guess you could say that Iowa State University Seed Lab is both a “typical” AOSA lab, and a “far from a typical” AOSA lab. ISU Seed Lab is a typical seed lab in that it integrates seed testing with a large amount of student training. However, ISU isn’t a typical seed lab because the Seed Science Center spends each summer designing and hosting conditioning workshops where both entry-level and seasoned industry professionals can receive hands-on, in-depth instruction on the latest in industry equipment. In addition, the ISU Seed Lab conducts a Seed Analyst Short Course on purity and germination each spring and a Seed Quality Workshop each August. And finally, ISU Seed Lab isn’t a typical seed lab, because we offer custom workshops for seed companies and international visitors, as well as a biennial SCST Genetic Testing Super Workshop—something other labs don’t offer.
A Leader in Seed Health Testing
Industry-wide it is no secret that the ISU Seed Science Center houses one of the top seed health testing labs in the world. In fact, you would be hard pressed to mention a seed-borne fungus, bacteria, or virus that the ISU Seed Lab has not tested for. Additionally, our Iowa (tray) cold test has been an industry standard for testing corn for more than 40 years. But are you aware that this two-week test is also available as a one-week test? Many seed companies and researchers choose the Iowa cold test for seed safety testing and custom testing because it is certified to confirm that corn and soybean seed samples meet trait provider standards for all biotech traits, as well as undesired traits. Actually, the more than 100 species tested each year include a significant number of native species.
Testing is Our Number One Priority
When you test with the ISU Seed Lab, you can rest assured that testing seeds is always our number one priority. Our goal is to provide timely and accurate results to all of our customers while also offering the highest level of customer service available in the industry.
To learn more about what the ISU Seed Lab can do for your company, visit our websites at seeds.iastate.edu and seedlab.iastate.edu, or contact Customer Care Lead Cherie Hill (515-294-6826 or seedlab@iastate.edu) or me, Mike Stahr, at (mgstahr@iastate.edu or 515-294-0117). We also plan to attend the following conferences, where we’d love to have you stop by to discuss why testing with ISU Seed Lab is always your best option! American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS Seed Conference, Chicago, December 4-8; Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) Seed Conference Indianapolis, Jan 8-10; and ASTA Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, San Diego, Jan 27-30. We look forward to seeing you there!
—Mike Stahr, ISU Seed Lab Manager
