By Darren Hefty

We made the investment this summer in color sorters for our three seed cleaning facilities and are so happy with the instant improvement in seed quality.  If you are unfamiliar with the term “color sorter,” it refers to a machine that uses electronic eyes and bursts of air to kick out seed that is a different color or shape from the desired seed.  The machine greatly improves the appearance of the seed and does so without having to take out a whole bunch of good beans at the same time.

Here’s a picture of some seed that came right out of the field.

Here’s a picture of that seed after it went through the color sorter.

Here’s what the color sorter was able to take out of that seed!

Not only have we seen the finished product look better, it’s also a step up in germination percentage as some of the green and/or damaged beans you see certainly would not germinate next spring.

These machines are used in the industry for many different kinds of seed from rice to pulse crops to nuts and many more.  We are using the color sorter specifically for soybeans at two of our plants, but in North Dakota we can use the machine for multiple crops simply by reprogramming the computer.

If you get a chance this fall, please call ahead for an appointment to stop in at one of our seed cleaning facilities near Baltic, SD; Centerville, SD; or Pembina, ND.  These machines are a step change in performance when it comes to seed cleaning.  Plus, they’re pretty cool to watch in action!