b'Seed quality testing protects everyone, from the grower getting paid for their seed to the final consumer of the prod-uct, she says. With growing understanding in the marketplace about the value of seed testing, many seed customers are starting to demand seed quality proof to provide themselves with the best potential of securing a successful harvest. Patin says its in a seed sellers best interest to provide tests. Test to show your seed has vigour and can withstand stressful conditions. Market your advantage. If you have more drought tolerant seed, test it and show that to potential customers:market it. If your seed is more tolerant to cold, talk about what makes your seed a better investment, show the customer and market it.Perhaps Patin sums things up best: There are so many choices on the market. Seed is expensive; growing a high-qual-ity crop has high input costs; and failure puts your customer out of business, as well as can give your product a bad name. Performing a few extra tests to show and demonstrate a high-quality product can make all the difference in the world.What is slowing uptake of seed tests?As inflation dominates conversations about money and prices of everything from inputs to land continue to rise, some compa-nies are choosing to skip optional seed tests to reduce costs. Ultimately, this decision hurts the industry by allowing less-than-excellent seed into the market.SGS supports seed germination testing under numerous conditions Gillespie says that the cost of testing is often a point of con- to provide clients with the data needed to make the right business AWB_Germination-Jan2024.pdf 1 2023-12-13 10:38:02 AMtentioneven though the actual cost of the seed test comesdecisions. backed with thousands of hours of experience and proven methods, the materials for which are not inexpensive. For those looking to market internationally, the cost of testing is negligi-ble when considered against the alternative, she adds. Compared to the cost of seed arriving in another country and not meeting quality standards, the cost of seed testing before it leaves the dock is pretty minimal. The other concern companies often report is the time that testing necessarily requires. Some tests can take nearly a month to complete, which can make it difficult to meet ship-ping dates at times, says Gillespie. During the busiest parts of Cthe season labs frequently have some backlog as well.MThe reality of the situation, she says, is that when dealingYwith plants, each species has evolved and been bred to have certain behaviours. Some of them just grow at a slower rate.CMWaiting for full results is always worthwhile.MYLabs may conduct tetrazoliumquick viabilitytests CYto get an idea of the potential viability of the seed, but thisCMYinformation is not suitable for labelling, she says. Opting not to perform quality standard testing could beKan unwise business practice, says Patin. Scrimping on testing could ultimately allow poor quality seed to be sold to custom-ers, resulting in product failure, decreased trust in ones brand, dissatisfied clients, and potential loss of market share. Many seed quality tests are also required by contract agree-ments with trait suppliers. A company can lose their rights to use the technology and [it can] cause damage to a companys reputation. The requirements are put into place for various reasons, not the least of which is to protect the tool (trait, JANUARY 2024GERMINATION.CA 29'