Improving Seed Conditioning

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.

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.

Acknowledgment Introduction Chapter 1 What seed conditioning is and does Chapter 2 Seed conditioning plant staff and contract growers Chapter 3 Seed conditioning plant location Chapter 4 Seed conditioning plant area Chapter 5 Essential utilities Chapter 6 Conditioning plant facilities Chapter 7 Raw (nonconditioned) seed Chapter 8 Moving raw seed into conditioning Chapter 9 Conditioning Chapter 10 Support operations Chapter 11 Seed conditioning principles Chapter 12 Waste products Chapter 13 Sanitation and pest/insect control Chapter 14 Conditioning equipment layout Chapter 15 Receiving pit Chapter 16 Bucket elevator characteristics Chapter 17 Bucket elevator operation Chapter 18 Vibrating conveyor characteristics Chapter 19 Vibrating conveyor operation Chapter 20 Horizontal belt conveyor characteristics Chapter 21 Horizontal belt conveyor operation Chapter 22 Inclined belt conveyor characteristics Chapter 23 Inclined belt conveyor operation Chapter 24 Drag chain conveyor characteristics Chapter 25 Drag chain conveyor operation Chapter 26 Airlift elevator characteristics Chapter 27 Airlift elevator operation Chapter 28 Ear corn conveyor characteristics Chapter 29 Ear corn conveyor operation Chapter 30 Corn (maize) sheller characteristics Chapter 31 Corn sheller operation Chapter 32 Scalper (precleaner) characteristics Chapter 33 Scalper operation Chapter 34 Debearder characteristics Chapter 35 Debearder operation Chapter 36 Huller-scarifier characteristics Chapter 37 Huller-scarifier operation Chapter 38 Air-screen cleaner characteristics Chapter 39 Screens Chapter 40 Screen selection Chapter 41 Air-screen cleaner operation Chapter 42 Cylinder separator characteristics Chapter 43 Cylinders Chapter 44 Cylinder separator operation Chapter 45 Disc separator characteristics Chapter 46 Discs Chapter 47 Disc separator operation Chapter 48 Gravity separator characteristics Chapter 49 Gravity separator operation Chapter 50 Stoner characteristics Chapter 51 Stoner operation Chapter 52 Pneumatic separator characteristics Chapter 53 Pneumatic separator operation Chapter 54 Aspirator characteristics Chapter 55 Aspirator operation Chapter 56 Spiral separator characteristics Chapter 57 Spiral separator operation Chapter 58 Width and thickness separator characteristics Chapter 59 Width and thickness separator operation Chapter 60 Roll mill characteristics Chapter 61 Roll mill operation Chapter 62 Color separator characteristics Chapter 63 Color separator operation Chapter 64 Magnetic separator characteristics Chapter 65 Magnetic separator operation Chapter 66 Electrostatic separator characteristics Chapter 67 Electrostatic separator operation Chapter 68 Seed treater characteristics Chapter 69 Seed treater operation Chapter 70 Bagger-weigher characteristics Chapter 71 Bagger-weigher operation Chapter 72 Bag closer characteristics Chapter 73 Bag closer operation Chapter 74 Determining seed conditioning requirements Chapter 75 Determining conditioning requirements for a specific separation problem Chapter 76 Determining sequence to set up, adjust, and operate conditioning machines Chapter 77 Selected machine adjustment sequence Chapter 78 Special packaging machines Completion of the study program Certificate of Master Seed Conditioner