Possibilities to inspect seed treatment equipment SPISE 6th European Workshop Barcelona Hans-Jürgen Osteroth (Schriftgröße mindestens 16, besser 1 Institute for Application Technique in Plant Protection, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig
Actual Situation (in Germany) Which kind of Seed Treatment Equipment (STE) we find currently on the market How to inspect seed treatment equipment and what is needed Established certification system in Germany for dust-free seeds Next steps Some suggestions for requirements
Actual situation (in Germany) The inspection for seed treatment equipment (STE) must be indroduced before the end of the year 2020 German ArtikelVerordnung from 27 June 2013 based on the plant protection act from 13 February 2012 The discussion of how to implement the inspection of the equipment is just starting For the moment we don t have any standards neither for brand new STE nor for STE in use Both mobile STE (rarely) and stationary equipment (mostly) can be found The equipment can be located -on farms, -on the field (mobile), -at contractors, -in warehouses
The discussion of how to implement the inspection of the equipment is just starting! Many questions: Inspection staff is not yet available and must be trained first Most of the inspections are carried out on farms, at contractors or on company ground inspectors must travel overland Inspection equipment must be transportable Which equipment is needed? For the inspection sufficient quantities of seed are needed must the farmer/contractor provide it? For checking and calibration often Plant Protection Products (PPP) are necessary work safety must be considered
No standards for STE in the moment CEN already announced not to draw up new standards for STE JKI guideline for for new equipment for the JKI approval exist (these requirements are valid until 2011 in the declaration procedure) Requirements for STE in use are needed soon
Which devices can be found at the moment? Mobile STE - for potatoes - for cereals
Which devices can be found at the moment? Problem of the definition: Mobile seed treatment equipment? or Sprayer for field crops on a potatoe planter? In Germany inspection as a row sprayer for field crops (inspection since this year)
Which devices can be found at the moment? STE on farms STE for potatoes Inspection? Out of the internet: Tractor mounted mixing unit for -feed mixing, -mixing granules and -seed treatment! From Old concrete the museum mixer into as STE internet seccond auction life Picture: Eskil Nilsson
Which devices can be found at the moment? STE at contractors Seed treatment equipment Seed cleaning device Mobile STE - seed treatment with electrons! Inspection?
Which devices can be found at the moment? STE for laboratories or chemical industry STE in industry often work with more than 20 t/h. The seed treatment equipment is often located over more than one floor! Work safety is important but is not often used! Picture: Bayer Picture: Eskil Nilsson
How to inspect seed treatment equipment and what is needed - inspection stuff must be trained in STE - inspection take place on company ground / farms / contractors = Inspection stuff and equipment must be transportable - which equipment is needed? easy: balance, flowmeter, stopwatch, measuring cylinders more complicated: Photometer, if chemical evaluation of treated seed is needed -> mobile equipment available and practicable?
What to inspect every three years? A) Dosage accuracy - Pump: function test, leakages - Controls: Pressure gauge if present - Flow meter: function test and accuracy - Balance: accuracy by using calibrated weights - Nozzles (if present): Flowrate measurements (if possible General problem: Often seed and PPP are needed. The test with water is not sufficient!
What to inspect every three years? B) Tightness and safety of equipment - Hoses and lines: leakages - Container lid: leakages - Dust extraction (if present): damages, leakages - Dust disposal: container? - Safety of drives: drives guarded?
What to inspect every three years? C) Work quality - grain distribution µg/corn: not possible, because of the needed intruments (Photometer) - grain degree (ml/100 kg seed): not possible, because of the needed instruments - automatic functions: + machine stops automatically when seed is missing + machine stops automatically when PPP container is empty But: Not all devices have this feature (esp. devices at farms) Can be visually checked
The Established certification system in Germany for dust-free seeds (voluntary) observe the complete process from grain deliverey to filling of the finshed seed! Investigate as part of the certification process also pickling units It is conceivable to inspect the devices during certification The experience shows, that calibration of the equipment must be regularly checked and documented by the user! Adjustment of the dosage has to be checked by the user for each new batch of seed! If documents are available, further analysis of the dosage could be omitted thereby
The Established certification system in Germany for dust-free seeds (voluntary) observe the complete process from grain deliverey to filling of the finished seed! Experience of the certification up to now: The certification process often shows - Leakages at the pickling units - Poorly cleaned devices -Encrustations of seed and PPP that complicate proper operation of the machine and makes the inspection of the device for the stuff difficult and may cause health problems when handling with PPP. Inspection of STE with the use of PPP is a no go! The use of water for funktion tests produce inconclusive results especially with beet and rape seed.
Next steps: The inspectable devices must be determined Requirements for STE in use must be worked out Inspection stuff must be trained In relation to the (not yet worked out) requirements appropriate test equipment is needed It is proposed for this purpose to draw up an SPISE Advice paper! Please find in the full paper of my presentation the proposed requirements as a basis for further discussions.
Possible requirements for STE in use 7. 8. Filtering Pipes and / Atomizer hoses / Other 5. 3. 6. a) Emptying Equipment 2. Filling Fittings There shall Seed and and / Cleaning treatment: PPP Controls be no leakages by Containers: 1. a) 4. It a) Safety: No All pipes If Dosage: filters shall devices or be are hoses possible Storage splashing Drive for installed container elements back measuring, while tor testing collect lines, large such switching the the enough, as a) remaining b) b) drive Container maximum filter Dose and inserts rate Calibration shaft, off obtainable PPP lid and of shall PPP chain, must free adjustinf simply be must working without be from sprockets, flow be possible rates tools, possible belts, reliably gears, deformations shall pressure changeable. to read work and at for = collecting etc. reliably a without the easy system. need of and seed to holes with accessible spillage be and checked. no leakages place PPP c) b) b) Complete PPP must easily and completely For Level Hoses The separately equipment manual filter(s) shall emptying shall be of liquid controls positioned be of in must with electric be which containers good determined are drive, must collected be possible separately for one from person the seed c) STE make by necessary such condition a way, and a stopped scale sure for that the that the there mesh automatically the application are size no electrical shall c) c) The The cleaning dosage device setting for must crop be when clearly d) connections Agitation be sharp correspond mounted bends to seed flow (if stopped present): in and the (connectors, such nozzle(s) a abrasion There way, cables) that must they protection visible (clearly product recognizable) containers, if FDi d) STE are be can which fitted a free be in makes stopped good easily the STE. the of visible bruises, reached woven automatically agitation cracks, and fabric c) provided, shall work reliably when e) deformations Pressure readjusted visible. Atomizer(s) PPP flow compensation (if for necessary) PPP shall stopped or exposed must during not be wires. be the e) Adjusting ensured application affected in their function, for of the volume weight of c) Other example, measuring by encrustations devices, / dirt. d) seed especially Other equipment flow meters must used be for the f) Hoses, lines, pumpes free from dosage functional. shall measure within a leaks maximum error of 5 % of the real g) Means for removing dust must data work properly
Not to be inspected with the proposed requirements: Quality of treated seed PPP on the single corn (µg/corn) PPP on a sample (mg / 50 g seed) The amaount of dust in the seed Dosage with PPP / Water / Seed Proper storage of PPP
A lot to do Thank you for your attention! Mail: hans-juergen.osteroth@julius-kuehn.de Tel.: 0049-531-2993658