News Release
December 21, 2007

State’s seed analysis laboratory sees activity soar 

A laboratory whose majority of business is associated with reclamation is itself a restoration success story.

The state’s Denny J. Smith Memorial Seed Analysis Laboratory, which saw revenues shrink to about $7,000 when it was in Cheyenne, has seen revenues bloom more than 330 percent since its move to Powell.

Gil Waibel, director of the lab housed at the University of Wyoming Powell Research and Extension Center, said $29,000 in receipts were generated in 2004-2005 – its first year in Powell – to more than $126,000 last year, an increase of 334 percent.

Five months into the new fiscal year, revenues are already at $92,000, he said. The lab is funded by appropriation through the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and is operated and administered by the UW’s College of Agriculture. Revenues are returned into the state’s general fund.

Relocating the lab, a shorter turnaround time in seed analysis, quality testing and increased testing of native species has all contributed to the increase. More than 60 percent of the tests at the lab last year were of native species for revegetation and reclamation, said Waibel.

Moving the lab to Powell plopped it right in the heart of the Wyoming seed industry. The area has 90 percent of the seed production of Wyoming. Ample water via canals, good growing conditions, a dry climate that discourages disease development and mountains forming a natural barrier to diseases create a seed production haven.

“I think the lab is very important to my business and to my competition as well,” said Lynn Preator, whose family owns Preator Bean Co. near Burlington. “I don’t think I can say enough good things about the lab there.”

Preator, whose company sells pinto, Great Northern, navy, black, and light and dark red kidney bean seed, was forced to go outside the state when the lab was shut down near Cheyenne for a few years.

“We used Montana quite a bit and that raised a lot of questions such as ‘why isn’t it tested in Wyoming? Don’t you have a good program there?’ I was surprised at how many people questioned us about that,” Preator said.

With the lab in Powell, Preator said he’s better able to promote Wyoming and his company. “I don’t like to promote seed from California, Washington state or Idaho. These states like to refer to their seed as Western grown. We like to promote Wyoming and get people to buy seed out of this area.”

There had also been a difficulty in the turnaround for results, said Ken Borcher, owner of Etheridge Seed Farms near Powell. “Before we can even think about marketing seed, it needs to be tested,” said Borcher. “Testing is the combination of a long year of growing, harvesting, cleaning and then testing and, then we get to sell it.”

The lab, once moved from Laramie to Cheyenne, had a turnaround time of at least an extra week, he said. “We did everything we could to get seed to the lab as quick as possible. A week was really hurting us.”

They eventually used a lab in Bozeman, Mont. “The mail seemed to fly a little better going north,” he quipped.

Holdups, Borcher said, can lower marketing.

Preator said a speedy turnaround can be invaluable. “You could have a $100,000 deal if you can get an answer in seven to eight days, but if you have to wait two or three weeks, no.”

Waibel said the lab tries to turn samples over in a timely manner.

 “We work with customers to try to see what samples are most important,” he said. “When we had a lot of samples from the Bureau of Land Management in early October, I called customers to explain and asked if there were any lots they particularly needed fast. We would make sure that happened for them.”

Waibel complimented his staff and said their experience and skills help sustain the quality and speed of the lab.

A need for speed is not everything. Quality also counts. Seed used in other states can be tested by the state, and, if purity and germination is found to be less than marked, a stop sale is put on lots until recertified. “We get tested every year,” said Preator. “We’ve never had a stop sale on seed because of the testing done over there. I’m extremely happy with the job they do.”

Waibel said when he was hired the College of Agriculture wanted to see the lab fit into a regional niche. “We would be a lab of choice for second opinions,” said Waibel. “I think that’s been happening.”

Native species are becoming more in demand as government agencies and mining companies restore land disturbed by fire or mining.

In order of number of samples, the lab tests beans followed by wheat grasses, followed by alfalfa, sagebrush, saltbushes, wild ryes, gramas, penstemons and then wheat.

There is an intentional effort aimed at reducing cheatgrass (downy brome) in seed lots. “That’s been our goal as certified seed producer,” said Borcher. “We knew it was becoming a problem in the West. We knew the cleaner we could keep fields the easier it is to market the seed. Companies are paying attention and responded. Zero weed is the ultimate. We get prime prices for those lots, not only cheatgrass free but weed free. I’m sure it’s becoming a focal point for the BLM and coal mine companies. They want to keep a piece of ground clean.”

Borcher said such seed can draw a 10- to 20-percent bonus in price.

Waibel said the lab serving reclamation needs shows its responsibility includes more than agricultural interests in Wyoming.

“The lab is really serving the whole state,” he said. “Our state is unique, and I figure our lab responds in a unique way. We are testing a lot of unique species here.”

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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