Supporting the Seed Industry through Education
We at Germains Seed Technology believe that educating younger generations about seed technology and their relevance to the agriculture industry plays a vital role in supporting the industry’s future. When field trips are well executed, students who visit our facilities benefit greatly from hands-on experience. Such experiences may influence students to consider pursuing a career in the seed industry or perhaps with Germains in the future. Over the past six weeks, Germains participated in two educational tours hosted by Seed Valley and the California Seed Association.
Secondary School Students Conducting Experiments at Germains Enkhuizen Facility
Educating Future Gernerations about the Seed Industry
As a part of our involvement with Seed Valley, six secondary school students had the opportunity to visit five seed related companies in the Seed Valley region of the Netherlands. While visiting Germains, the group was presented with a short introduction about Germains and the various seed treatments we offer. Following the presentation, students were provided with a tour of our seed priming lab where the students participated in hands-on activities such as determining the moisture content of several seeds followed by sowing raw, primed and primed/pelleted seeds into seed trays. The students were happy to take home their sown trays so they could continue to follow the effect of priming and pelleting. Also, the students had a chance to learn how to pellet seeds and conducted DNA experiments in our microbiology lab.
Student Lab Experiments at Germains Enkhuizen Laboratory
In the United States, Germains Gilroy location participated in the California Seed Association’s annual Flower Seed Tour for students enrolled in agriculture-related programs at California State University Fresno and Chico, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo and University California Davis. This year’s tour included visits to some of the industry’s leading breeders such as Sakata Seed America, American Takii Inc., and Syngenta. The California Seed Association tour also included visits to seed service providers such as Germains Seed Technology and Headstart Nursery.
California Seed Association Annual Seed Tour at Germains’ Gilroy Facility
After being introduced to plant breeding and seed production by some of the industry’s leading breeders and seed producers, Germains introduced the group to seed treatments. The group was provided with a general overview of our seed priming, pelleting, filmcoating and health that are utilized by the breeders they visited. Following the presentation, the group was provided with a tour of our production facility and quality control labs.
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Overall both groups were engaged in the activities and walked away with a better understanding of the seed industry and its many facets. Please contact us today if you wish to schedule a student tour at one of Germains’ facilities.