It is that time of year again. The sun is shining, the air is slowly warming, grass is becoming greener; spring is upon us. Dust has been flying from field to field these past weeks in preparation of the upcoming planting season. Farmers have the ‘itch’ to get rolling, putting seed in the ground. If… Continue reading
After many hours of looking at paint swabs and plenty of incorrect color choices – we finally had the lab painted over the winter! Joyce, Chris and Lauren really love these improvements; the colors really brighten up the room.
Did you know we do grass seed testing? We will do a purity and germination on most of the Michigan Department of Transportation roadside grass mixes, but we will also test your home/farm grass mixes for you, too! We separate each component, then plant 400 seeds in clear covered boxes and this is what it… Continue reading
Seed Biology 101 Each of us that sows a field with seed relies on the notion that a plant will emerge. Somehow the seed turns into a plant. Often, we do not see the germination process because we are busy doing the many “to do’s” of spring planting. Many of you may not familiar with… Continue reading
Position: Summer Seed Corn Production Field Person Locations: Vicksburg, Mendon, Constantine, and Howe general vicinities Job Summary: For those interested in learning more about basic principles of seed corn production. As many are aware, the seed corn industry is a big part of Southwest Michigan, being touted as the “seed” corn capital of the world. … Continue reading
With the colder, Michigan temperatures upon us, we wanted to share something that is warm, hearty, yet delicious. Below is a soup recipe from MICA’s very own Joyce Hiebert. Enjoy! 15 Bean Slow Cooker Soup 1 package of Hurst’s HamBeens 15 Bean Soup with flavor packet 8 cups of water or ham, chicken, beef or… Continue reading
The lab is decorated for Christmas! Just a reminder – the MCIA office will be closed December 24th – January 3rd. Merry Christmas & have a Happy New Year, we hope everyone has a safe holiday season!
Bioassays are used routinely in the seed testing industry to evaluate the presence/efficacy of traits in seed. A bioassay is in simple terms: the evaluation of the effect of a substance (chemical) on living tissue (germination seedlings). There are numerous types of bioassays including the evaluation of seed production in fields after Roundup, Liberty, Enlist,… Continue reading