Seed conditioning is the final process that establishes the quality of a seed lot and determines its value. It is a complex process involving a significant series of machines, each of which must be used in the proper sequence of the entire process, and each machine must be carefully and properly adjusted and set up for each lot of seed. If the conditioning plant operator does not have sufficient knowledge of how to set up and adjust each of the machines, then an excessive amount of good seed is lost during conditioning and not all undesirable materials are removed. Therefore, the performance of seed conditioning depends entirely on how effectively the operator sets up and adjusts the machines.
Much effort has been spent in developing seed technology so as to produce high quality seed, but performance of seed conditioning by maximizing the operator's knowledge of getting the best performance from each of his machines has not been carefully and completely developed. Improving Seed Conditioning focuses on teaching the conditioning plant operator details of each machine and how to get maximum performance from it in terms of operating efficiency, maximum removal of undesirable particles, and minimum loss of good seed.
Organized in a manner that focuses on the specific machine models installed in each operator's specific plant, this manual is set up to be used as text material in training classes or as a guide for operators employed by seed companies.
About the Author: Bill Gregg holds a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Agronomy Seed Technology. He has held positions of leadership in developing, managing and operating seed technology programs, training personnel and guiding operations at Mississippi State University, Washington State University, and Auburn University in the U.S.A., and as a consultant and advisor in various aspects of seed improvement, seed industry development, personnel development, seed promotion to farmers, in approximately 90 countries in programs sponsored by various national government and private sector agencies, and international development programs. In Seed Conditioning, he worked with equipment manufacturers in research and development of machines, and manufacturing of machines. He worked in actual conditioning of seed of many crops. He trained operators in seed conditioning. He worked in maintenance and repair of seed conditioning machines. He designed and built/installed seed conditioning plants worldwide, probably more plants than any other person worldwide. In many countries and many plants, he examined problems in seed conditioning and developed solutions. He has a significant number of publications on various aspects of seed conditioning. He is widely known jokingly as "Mr. Seed Conditioning." As a measure of his status, he has been included in Who's Who in the South and Southwest of the USA, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. In 2000 and 2001, the International Biographical Centre of Cambridge, England, selected him as International Man of the Year in Recognition of his services to the international seed industry.
