Company also is making its quality laboratories ISO 9001:2000 registered.

Last season, growers benefited from the outstanding seed quality of Stoneville cotton seed varieties.  Lot testing so far this year indicates even higher quality planting seed, according to Dr. Bryan Savoy, Director, U.S. Quality Assurance.

“Stoneville, an Emergent Genetics™ brand, removes any perceived subjectivity from testing by providing growers with official third-party results,” says Savoy, who is based in Memphis.  “The Cool Germination Test and the Standard (Warm) Germination Test for all Stoneville seed are conducted by the State Seed Testing Laboratory, Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce (MDAC).  Additionally, Stoneville performs internal testing to verify the department’s results, as well as a battery of other tests to ensure that growers’ needs are met.”

How much better is this year’s seed quality at Stoneville?  Savoy says, “With nearly one-half of our 2004 seed supply conditioned, results in finished lots to date show 90 percent germ for the average Standard (Warm) Germination Test—that’s well above the required 80 percent minimum.  Results also show 85 percent germ for the average Cool Germination Test.  Tests on seed still in bulk indicate that this excellent trend will carry through into finished products.  These scores point to continued outstanding seed viability and vigor.”

On February 1, Stoneville began faxing and emailing Warm and Cool Germination third-party MDAC results on its cottonseed lots to its distributor and service center partners following shipment of the seed.  This is another industry first from Stoneville.

ISO 9001:2000

Stoneville is taking another step to assure growers that they are buying the highest quality cotton planting seed available in the industry.  It is making its US quality laboratories ISO 9001:2000 registered.  ISO is the worldwide recognized quality management system that industry leaders use to assure consistency of operation, repeatability, and customer satisfaction. 

Savoy leads the effort for Stoneville’s US quality assurance business.  He works with Dr. Dennis Berkey, Global VP for Emergent Genetics and Chairman of their quality council, to coordinate the installation of the ISO 9001 system into the US business.

“The goal is continuous quality improvement and service to growers year in and year out,” says Savoy.  “Management plays an active role in the ISO process.  All segments of our business must be involved to drive quality improvement.  All of this means higher quality seed for our customers, giving them the opportunity to get the maximum results from their operation.”

SETTING NEW STANDARDS

Today’s better quality planting seed and planting equipment advancements have enabled growers to reduce the amount of seed that they plant per acre considerably, resulting in a very precise planting density.  Additionally, seeds per foot of row have replaced pounds per acre because of significant quality advances in today’s cotton planting seeds, and the value of seed and technology in each bag.

Recognizing that growers no longer plant pounds—they plant seeds—Stoneville became the first cotton seed company to change its seed package from the traditional 50-pound bag to a 230,000 count unit. 

“We set a new packaging standard when we announced our new 230K seed count package in mid-May last year,” Savoy says.  “All Stoneville varieties this year are packaged in 230K bags.  Bulk packages contain 8.05 million seeds, or thirty-five 230,000-seed units.

“For the first time ever, growers know exactly how many seeds are in each bag.  With the cost of seed associated with today’s transgenic traits, farmers are stretching the seeding rate and expecting most every seed to germinate and make a plant.  Outstanding quality is essential for growers to get what they pay for.”

  LONG-TERM COMMITMENT

Savoy adds, “As excited as we are with the 230K seed package and the ISO registration process for our quality assurance group, we have been committed to seed quality excellence for a long time.”

Uniform plant emergence and vigorous stands are the first steps to maximizing yield and performance.  Stoneville works to ensure that it does everything possible to give growers the opportunity to obtain the desired stand that they demand. 

“We have made several changes in our methods of producing and selecting seed,” Savoy says.  “These changes start in field production by selecting good quality seed growers in regions of the US that produce high quality seed.  We work with growers who understand what it takes to deliver the bulk seed we need to maximize the quality.  Since seed is damaged by rain, high humidity, and improper storage in the module, we need to produce seed with growers that are able to get the crop out before field and/or module damage occurs.  Gins also can be a major source of poor quality due to seed coat damage from gin saws and improper conveying and storage.  Stoneville’s field production managers work to ensure that all bases are covered with regard to the steps that give Stoneville top quality.  Then, quality assurance professionals at Stoneville’s receiving scales make the final call on what bulk seed to accept, based on strict standards.

“Once we have selected good quality bulk seed, we store and handle that seed to maintain the seed quality that is present in seed brought in from the field.  Stoneville employs the latest technology in monitoring and handling the seed in its production facilities.  Many operational changes have been made over the last several years to improve seed quality.  For example, a significant change was made to the Stoneville, Mississippi delinting process that yielded improvements in Cool Test scores and reduced damage to seed coats.  All Stoneville facilities have made continual improvements in the areas of conditioning, treating and packaging seed, thereby improving seed appearance to growers.”

Rich in cotton heritage, Stoneville is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, with research & development sites, and seed production facilities located across the United States and internationally.  Breeding cotton since 1922, Stoneville was the world’s first to commercialize genetically-engineered cotton seed, and set a new packaging standard by changing to a 230,000 seed count.  Stoneville, an Emergent Genetics™ brand, provides varieties that cotton growers need today to compete in the global cotton economy.