New capabilities in the Montana State University Seed Lab will add to the ability of Montana farmers to do electronic marketing, the head of the seed lab says.

"There is now real-time availability of the lab analysis to our clients," said Harold Armstrong (photo). "The results are posted to the Internet within about 30 minutes of the test being completed for a sample. That allows our clients to email a PDF (file) to their potential clients showing standard tests such as purity and germination." The Internet-based services have been available since January.

Miriah Idland, secretary at Bruce Seed Farms in Townsend, said she already prefers the new system. Being able to print the PDF "is great, because faxing distorts the image so badly," she said. "It's nice, too, because you can get an additional copy any time you need one."

Nick Lowen, a sales representative at Wildhorse Seeds in Havre, said the new system is better because it is a lot faster.

"Another thing I like is that I can see that the lab got the sample and when they got it," Lowen said. "That saves me a phone call."

The Montana State Seed Laboratory provides seed testing services to regional farmers, seed growers, and the Montana Department of Agriculture. It is housed at MSU, but chartered under the state Department of Agriculture and paid for by service fees. Montana has no private seed labs, Armstrong said. The lab processed about 5,200 samples in 2006. Each sample may include several tests. Some tests take two hours, some as much as 16 hours to complete.

The lab works closely with the Montana Seed Growers Association to test registered and certified seed to make sure they meet the requirements of the association. It also tests samples of crops such as peas and lentils that must meet standards to get federal crop insurance. It has a new service called a herbicide bioassay for alfalfa growers who think that pollen from Roundup Ready seed may have blown into their field. Organic alfalfa growers may need to show that their seed has not had pollen from genetically modified plants drift into their crops. Other clients include farmers and ranchers who want to test seed, the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Natural Resources and Conservation Service.


The new services at the seed lab are based on Pure Harvest Laboratory Software. The same software is being used by labs in several states, including Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado.

"Another very cool feature will be that the Pure Harvest Web site will allow free advertising for the clients of Pure Harvest Labs," Armstrong said. "You have a result. You haven't sold all the seed. You can post x-pounds of green needle grass for sale."

In addition to the Internet-based services, the Montana State Seed Laboratory has been approved by BASF, the agrichemical company, to perform "Clearfield" testing of spring wheat and winter wheat. The test confirms whether Clearfield winter wheat is tolerant to several herbicides and chemicals.

"Clearfield is one of the few choices farmers have if they wish to plant wheat in areas infested with jointed goatgrass," Armstrong noted. The lab at MSU is one of a handful in the country that are approved to do the Clearfield test. The process requires yearly lab certification.

In 2006, the lab moved from MSU's Leon Johnson Hall to Room 40, Marsh Laboratories at the corner of 19th and Lincoln Street in Bozeman.

The main lab Web site is at: http://plantsciences.montana.edu/seedlab/

By Carol Flaherty