the ultimate priming solution scaling up seed storability length

Seed priming is crucial for modern agriculture, as it regulates the germination process through the management of temperature and seed moisture. However, one innovative SME has taken bold steps in perfecting an improved method that offers better yields combined with increased cost-effectiveness.

Through the EU-funded VITASEED project, Swedish SME Nelson Garden has been working towards the perfection of its identically named VITASEED method, the first and only priming method that allows for long-term storage of primed seeds.

“We focused on 10-12 species within the vegetable sector which is growing quickly in Europe,” says VITASEED project coordinator Mr Håkan Jalling. “Our goal is to show how we can scale up from lab level to a fully automatic machine with the capacity to handle approximately 20 kilogrammes per batch depending on the seed species.”

Faster, ecological and resource-efficient

So how does their method work in practice? “Our developed method, which is patent-protected, is fully ecological and it does not only enhance the vigour but also maintains seed storability over a long time,” explains Jalling. “Competitive advantages include optimisation to prevent deterioration of the seed quality over a longer period time, allowing seeds to be stored for a long duration. Our method is also entirely chemical-free, with only water and air involved, and can therefore be used for treating wholly organic seeds. Finally, the process is both time- and resource-efficient, making it commercially viable to treat a broader range of species and varieties from different market segments.”

Overall, the entire process time using the VITASEED method is only one to three days, compared to one to three weeks for traditional priming.

The star of the VITASEED method is undoubtedly Nelson Garden’s Optigrow Vitalizer 90, a fully automated machine which handles all of the different steps of the treatment process without the need for human intervention. All the operator has to do is select the correct species and varieties from a screen before the process begins, a task accomplished in merely a few seconds. Once the process is over, the seeds removed are already completely dry. “We even have a mobile app so the operator can monitor the process at all times, wherever they are, and be alerted immediately if something goes wrong,” says Jalling.

First, they conquered Chelsea, next the world

Outside of the lab, one of the proudest moments for Nelson Garden was their victory at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show in London in the category of ‘Best Garden Product of the Year 2018’. “Indeed, it was great for our image and marketing appeal but admittedly the gardening market is only a very small part of the wider seed market, maybe about 5 % only,” says Jalling.

In terms of future growth, Nelson Garden views its potential customers as being primarily within the worldwide professional seed sector, particularly seed companies selling to greenhouse growers or farmers. “Our main potential customers will be companies without large R&D departments – instead of doing their own R&D, they’ll buy the know-how from us,” says Jalling. “These companies will also probably be midsize companies interested in new technology that can give their customers better seed quality, better results and a better profit.”

The main focus for now is upscale their seed handling capacity from the current 20 kilogrammes. “Right now, we’re concentrating on the vegetable sector and then when we have machines with a much higher capacity, we’ll be targeting companies within the field crop sector,” concludes Jalling.

Reference source: the ultimate priming solution scaling up seed storability length