Holly Hybrids, Spreckels and SESVanderhave strive to provide the best possible sugarbeet seed varieties for our growing regions.

Seed Processing

Receiving from West Coast Beet Seed Company (WCBSC)

Once pre-cleaning is complete (the seed is separated from foreign material such as chaff, sticks and rocks), the seed is shipped to Holly Hybrids in Sheridan, Wyoming, for final processing.

Removal of Bi-Germs/Seed Polisher

The first step in seed processing is to remove bi-germs. The picture at the right shows an example of a bi-germ with 2 seedlings coming from 1 seed. The following process uses a polishing machine to remove excess pericarp (corky outer coating).

Effects of Processing

	Unprocessed	Seed from seed production area.
	First Pass	Seed is polished, removing a small amount of pericarp.
	Finished	Further processing to get to a final stage to assist planting.

 

Seed Sizing

Once the seed is polished it is sized for both thickness and diameter. Holly Hybrids sells seed in various sizes to meet the need of the many growers around the world.

Gravity Tables

One of the final seed processing steps is a gravity table. The gravity table separates the heaviest seed for use as commercial sugarbeet seed. During the whole process approximately 25% of the original seed is retained for sale to sugarbeet growers. 

Planter Test Stand/Grease Belt

Throughout the process, seed is constantly evaluated for plantability through a planter test stand. The ability for a grower to effectively plant the seed is very important, especially in areas with short growing seasons.

Goals of Seed Processing

• Separate out 'the best' seed
• Best recoveries at best cost
• Quality, quality and quality
• Make it plant
• Manage costs
• Good package
• Deliver on time