breaking dormancy - seed analysts€¦ · csaac breaking dormancy march 2015 page 2 of 14...

CSAAC Breaking Dormancy March 2015 of 14

March 2015

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Seed of the Month will be concentrating the next few months on Invasive Species of Canada.

March Seed of the Month

February Seed of the Month

Microstegium vimineum (Trin) A. Camus Japanese Stiltgrass Poaceae

mailto:[email protected]


Microstegium vimineum (Trin) A. Camus Japanese Stiltgrass Poaceae

Japanese stiltgrass is an invasive plant found in a variety of habitats, including forests, wetlands and

disturbed areas. This plant's prolific seed production and rapid growth helps it dominate entire habitats,

edging out native vegetation. As it spreads, Japanese stiltgrass displaces nesting sites for birds and other

wildlife. Economically, Japanese stiltgrass may also cost producers due to control costs and productivity

losses. Japanese stiltgrass has not been found in Canada. Native to Asia, this plant has been introduced

into the United States and is found in Ohio, Pennsylvania and along the US Atlantic coast.

Japanese stiltgrass is an annual grass that sprawls across the floors of disturbed areas, forests and

wetlands, as it prefers lower light. Stems can grow up to 1 m tall and have many branches. Leaf blades

are thin, pale green and tapered at both ends. In late summer, slender flower spikes are found at the end

of the stems. Plants develop a slightly purplish colour in autumn.

Japanese stiltgrass spreads when its seeds attach to clothing or animal fur. Seeds can also be found on

muddy tires and footwear. Bird seed, soil, nursery stock and hay can be contaminated with Japanese

stiltgrass. Once established, its seeds are naturally dispersed; it also roots from its stem nodes.

It is a spikelet - grain enclosed by 2 pairs of bracts. Spikelet has a length: 2.5–3.2 mm about .7 mm

wide and the awn length is unknown. In outline: spikelet is long oval with two stalks (pedicels)

projecting from base. It has dull, roughened by numerous small hairs on straw-yellow surface. Other

features are its upper half of fertile spikelet has small teeth along edges; pedicels are cup-tipped, and

have long hairs along edges; pedicels occasionally support sterile spikelets and may be found with a

long awn at top of spikelet.

Similar species

Yellow bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) spikelets not known to occur in Canada; similar to

Japanese stiltgrass spikelet in teeth and pedicel hair patterns. Spikelet is up to 1.0 mm longer than

Japanese stiltgrass, shiny and hairless (Japanese stiltgrass is dull, with numerous hairs).


2015 CFIA/SSTS/CSAAC SEED VIRTUAL REFEREE CFIA-SSTS and CSAAC are asking for participation in a virtual seed identification referee. This referee contains 25 images of seeds found on the Minimum List of Species for Seed Identification by Canadian Accredited Seed Analysts and Laboratories. The deadline for

submission of the results is April 3, 2015.

The instructions are provided on the second page of the attached presentation. Everyone,

including non-accredited seed analysts, are encouraged to participate. The participation

will count toward your (CSAAC) continuing education points for all accredited seed analysts, in addition to identifying any future training needs. Emailing a copy of the answer sheet is

preferred. However, mail or fax are also acceptable but submit results only by one method to: Leanne Duncan CFIA Saskatoon Laboratory - SSTS 301-421 Downey Road Saskatoon, SK S7N 4L8 Phone: (306) 385-4866 Fax: (306) 385-4944 Email: [email protected] We appreciate your participation and the valuable information that you provide.

Once completed, send the CSAAC office an e-mail to confirm you participated and

you will be reward one (1 P) participation point.

BOARD MEETING - WEDNESDAY April 22nd, 2015

Our next CSAAC board meeting is coming up on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015. If you

have any issues or concerns, you wish to be brought up at the meeting please advise.

The CSAAC board wants your feedback to ensure we keep CSAAC on the right track.

Please feel free to contact at any time your local CSAAC branch director or contact

directly our President Christine DeRooy at [email protected] or at any time the

CSAAC office at [email protected].

tel:%28306%29%20385-4866

tel:%28306%29%20385-4944





Did You Know?

The CSAAC’s “Did you know?” column is an opportunity for CSAAC Members to share interest and timely

information with other CSAAC members. Each contribution will earn you one (1) Association Participation

point towards your continuing education requirements. Anything that you find of interest will be of interest to

other analysts. Send something in at any time.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is located in Grade Table XX. Tomato belongs in the Solanaceae family along with

peppers and eggplant. A germination test takes 14 days to complete in an accredited seed laboratory.

Tomato seeds (for field processing use) are planted in greenhouses in early March for growers to plant in the beginning of

May. When the seedlings (plug plants) are ready, growers come to the greenhouses to pick up the plants that will be planted

in the field. Tomatoes are harvested by machine which starts in mid August and the season ends in early October or shortly

after the first frost. Thousands of acres of tomatoes are grown throughout Chatham-Kent, Ontario and are sent to processing

plants in Dresden and Leamington in large trailers to be processed into various products like whole and diced tomatoes, tomato

paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato soup, ketchup and many other products.

Tomatoes are loaded with all kinds of healthy benefits for the body.


2015 CSAAC Vigour Referee

The CSAAC Vigour Standardization committee, along with the CSAAC Referee

committee have completed the homogeneity testing for the Wheat vigour referee and the

samples are ready to be sent out.

There will be three lots and we will require that you conduct a 400 seed vigour test with

your laboratory’s usual method for this crop kind.

At this time we are calling upon Canadian laboratories to participate in this referee.

The purpose of this referee is to gauge how close Canadian laboratories are in conducting

cereal vigour tests. We will use the information obtained from this referee to decide if we

need to pursue a standardized Canadian cereal vigour method.

If we conduct more vigour referees in the future where we state the method(s) to be used,

we will then open them up to laboratories outside of Canada.

We assure you that as with all referees your laboratory will be assigned a random number

and all information collected will be confidential. In order for our committee to analyze

the data we receive and help us move forward toward our goal we ask that all labs

participating record the method that they used on the results reporting form. Again, this

information will be strictly confidential.

Please email Krista Erickson [email protected] by March 20, 2015 to participate in

this referee. Samples will be sent out towards the end of March or beginning of April.

We will request that results be submitted by May 15, 2015 to ensure we have sufficient

time to gather preliminary data to present at our annual meeting in Saskatoon.

As this is a voluntary referee one continuing education (participation) point will be

issued for all who participate in this referee. Each volunteer lab will receive one set of

referee samples. Once the testing is completed and results submitted the participating lab

will submit the names of all members who participated in the referee to the Executive

Director to receive the participation continuing education point.

Krista Erickson

Chair - Vigour Standardization Committee



CONTINUING EDUCATION POINTS

A GREAT WAY TO GET 4 EDUCATION (E) POINTS

AT A 2-DAY CONVENTION IN SASKATOON 2015.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EVERY SEED ANALYST ATTENDS AN ANNUAL

CONVENTION & WORKSHOP ONCE EVERY 3 YEARS.

NOWADAYS THERE IS ELECTRONIC METHODS OF LEARNING WHICH ARE

GREAT IN THEIR PLACE BUT NOTHING

IS LIKE HANDS ON LEARNING

WHICH THIS YEAR WILL BE RIGHT AT THE SSTS LAB IN SASKATOON.

IT ALLOWS NOT ONLY FOR YOU TO

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SEED TESTING

AND HAVE A SAY IN THE HAPPENINGS

BUT ALSO ALLOWS YOU

TO NETWORK WITH SEED INDUSTRY AND CFIA/SSTS.

SUMS UP A CSAAC CONVENTION ANY TIME!


WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY JUNE 24TH, 2015

CFIA SSTS Seed Laboratory - Saskatoon Limit of 40 Participants

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE!

7:30 to 07:45 Registration - Bus leaves at 7:45 AM sharp from hotel for SSTS lab.

Workshop attendees will be broken up into 2 groups Purity and Germination which will alternate

between the sessions in the order of their name tag grouping.

Wearing the name tag is mandatory for security.

8:00 to 11:15 Sessions 1 - Germination or Purity Workstations (3 hours)

10:15 to 10:30 Break

11:15 to 11:45 SSTS – Results of Virtual Seed Identification Referee

11:45 to 12:45 Lunch provided 12:45 to 15:45 Sessions 2 - Germination or Purity Workstations (3 hours)

15:45 Wrap up Q and A

16:00 End of workshop (Bus picks up at 16:00 PM)

Bus provided for transportation to and from workshop and hotel.

Purity Identification Workstation**

New Noxious Weed Seeds with focus on the difficult to differentiate

Blue grass separations and issues seen in the PT

Bromus spp. & Allium spp. separations

Germination Seedling Evaluation Workstation**

Root abnormalities in General

Root abnormalities caused by treatment/coating of Vegetable Seed

Soybean seedling evaluation with review of addendum procedures & issues in PT

Onion (raw seed) seedling evaluation – will be PT in 2015

*Water bottles will be provided by CSAAC at the SSTS lab.

**Topics may change slightly as we confirm materials and references available.


CSAAC Open Form and Business Meeting DRAFT Agenda

Tuesday June 23rd, 2015 DRAFT

7:30 Continental Breakfast provided

8:00 CSAAC Members Open Forum AM (Closed)

The first section is open to CSAAC members only, to allow for an open discussion on

matters of interest. Topics below will be discussed. The floor will be open to further

items, if requested.

a) Opening remarks by President including lobbying done by CSAAC on behalf of

our members. 2014 successes and set-backs then onto what is for 2015. Chaired

by Christine.

b) Vigour Testing Standardization Committee. Vigour Referee Results. Chaired by

Krista.

c) Membership clarification of Inactive category. Chaired by Betty.

d) Other topics from the floor. Chaired by Christine.

e) Kinds not required to be Separated Survey results on Proposal. Chaired by Betty.

f) Proficiency Testing Discussion on ways to make it better. Chaired by Morgan.

g) PT update on results from 2014 – Chaired by Ruojang.

h) M&P proposals for 2015 update – Chaired by Steve.

i) M&P proposals for 2016 (voting in afternoon) – Chaired by Steve/Cathy B.

j) Roundtable Discussions on Grade Tables and what analysts would like to see as

changes; and Roundtable Discussion on Minimum List and what analysts would

like to see as changes. Brainstorming sessions to get our ideas out in the open.

10:15 to 10:30 AM Coffee Break - Industry representatives join the meeting.

12:00 Lunch Provided

The formal business annual meeting of CSAAC will follow in the afternoon. This will

include voting on M&P proposals and election of Board of Directors.


SEED SWAP #3 - SASKATOON 2015

In 2015 we will again have the Seed Swap Samples available. All Seed Analysts

attending the workshop and annual meeting will receive a set for their herbariums. They

will also receive a letter from SSTS verifying the seed contents. There may be a limited

amount of sets not handed out which will be offered for sale at the convention or put into

the silent auction.

SILENT AUCTION ITEMS FOR CONVENTION

Silent, Silent and really Silent Auction will again be held at the CSAAC convention in

Saskatoon. All donations of items for the auction are gratefully received and recognition

will be given at the convention along with notice in the Breaking Dormancy after the

convention.

Please contact Crystal Dentman directly if you need to send the item to her or are

bringing it with you. Contact her directly at [email protected].

CSAAC new BYLAWS and CONSTITUTION

are available on the website in French and English.


CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

CSAAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Purpose & Composition of Board

To ensure that the board is comprised of individuals who possess the skills, qualities and experience to collectively

contribute to effective board governance and work for the best for individual members. The composition of the board will

consist of 10 directors; 10 elected and 2 non-voting members (SSTS & CSI). An elected director is elected to the board for a

term of two years. Any mid-term vacancy will be filled by the board for the balance of the term vacated.

Guest members (SSTS & CSI) are members of the board by virtue of their position within their organization and will serve

on the board according to the applicable terms of the particular office. As there are positions filled due to their expectation

that they will move up in the Board organization or are a committee chairperson, these positions are not up for election. The

positions are President, 1st Vice-President, Membership Chair and Past-President.

CALL FOR NOMINATION FOR JUNE 2015 IS FOR A TWO-YEAR PERIOD

Nominations are to fill the following positions; 5 directors including Western Director, Central Director, Eastern Director,

Quebec Director and 2nd Vice-President. All 2 year terms with the exception, that the 2nd Vice-President will be expected to

move up the ladder in the coming years to President.

The standing Board of Directors will be asked if they wish their name to stand for another term. If they do, they will be put

on the nominations listing.

A call is now put out for other nominations from the Senior and Associates membership. Each nomination has to be

recommended by 2 Senior or Associate members. Each person nominated must agree to allow their name to stand and a

statement of that fact needs to accompany the nomination. Each nomination will be reviewed by the Past President before

being put on the nomination list. Nominations will close 5 weeks prior to the annual meeting in order to review the

nominations and prepare for the election.

Election of board members is completed each year as part of the annual general meeting. The Past President shall identify

candidates to be brought forward to the voting membership for consideration. Followed by presentation to voting members

for election and approval. The candidates being considered do not need to be present at the election annual meeting though

it is recommended that they are.

In the event that the number of candidates equals the number of vacancies, the voting members may be asked to vote for or

against the slate and, if such a vote does not carry, the vote shall take place for or against each nominee individually. In the

event of a tie, the deciding vote will be cast by the Chair of the meeting (President). Voting members will be all Senior and

Associate members present at the annual meeting.

In the event that there is not enough names to fill all positions, nominations will be taken from the floor. In no other

situation will nominations be taken from the floor.

All nominations with the appropriate information needs to be forwarded to the Past President Dianne Gilhuly

[email protected] or the CSAAC Office at [email protected]. A listing of candidates up for voting will

be posted 4 weeks prior to the annual meeting for consideration of all eligible members to vote.

Close of Nominations will by the end of the day of: Tuesday May 19th, 2015

Candidates listing will be posted by: Tuesday May 26th, 2015

Election Date at the CSAAC Business Annual Meeting: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015.




CSAAC OFFICE

AUDITORS, CONVENTION, TRAINING, WEBSITE, BOARD MEETINGS,

COMMITTEE MEETINGS, CANADIAN M&P PROPOSALS, CONFERENCE

CALLS, REGISTRATIONS, MEMBERSHIP FEES, FINANCIAL REPORTS,

ROUNDTABLE MEETINGS, CSI MEETINGS, FUND RAISING, TRAVEL, FILING,

REPORTS, MEALS, COFFEE BREAKS, CONVENTION PACKAGES, INVOICING,

QUICKBOOKS, POWERPOINT, WORD, EXCEL SPREADSHEETS, INTERNET,

MEMBERS ONLY SECTION, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, BUDGETS, HOTEL

ARRANGEMENTS, BUS ARRANGEMENTS, WORKSHOP AGENDAS, ANNUAL

MEETING AGENDAS, BOARD ANNUAL MEETING AGENDAS, OFFICE

SUPPLIES, PRINTERS….

……AND FINALLY HOSPITALITY SUITE!

AH, A TIME TO RELAX AND PUT YOUR FEET UP! YAH, RIGHT!

Please contact me at any time at [email protected] or Phone # (204)

763-4610.

Thanks,

Betty

CSAAC Executive Director



CSAAC Annual $500 Post-Secondary Student Grant

CSAAC will be offering an annual student grant starting in 2015 in the amount of $500 for post-

secondary studies in the field of agriculture and/or plant sciences at a recognized Canadian institution.

CSAAC wishes to provide an incentive to encourage students to pursue degrees related to agriculture so

as to promote the development of sufficient expertise in the agricultural sector for the future.

Applications for grant will be accepted at any time throughout the year; however, the deadline is May

15th for the following fall term. No exceptions are allowed.

If no one applies by that date, the award will not be given for that year. A student is only eligible to

receive the award once. Please feel free to pass this message on to schools in your area including

high schools, colleges and universities.

Application and further instructions along with French translations may be found on the CSAAC

website at www.seedanalysts.com.

If you require further assistance or for information on services provided by our CSAAC members and

how to locate them in your area, or for further information on membership and joining our association

contact us at:

Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada Inc. (CSAAC)

Box 208, 301 Rothesay Street Douglas, Manitoba R0K 0R0 Canada

E-mail at: [email protected] Visit our web site at: www.seedanalysts.ca

CSAAC WEBSITE – IMPORTANT NOTICE

There was a delay in getting the member’s only section up and running. I am currently

updating all that have paid their membership fees so you can have access to the website.

There will be an individual sign-in with their own unique password. This will make the

member’s only section more secure. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

The members’ only section of the CSAAC website will only be open to active

membership categories. These membership categories are Senior, Associate, Health and

Affiliate. Inactive and Honorary members will not have access. If someone is inactive

and wishes to have access, their membership status would have to change to Affiliate.

In the next week, you will be sent an automatic e-mail that will provide you with your

user name and a temporary password. Please sign in with that and then change your

password to whatever you want. Remember this sign in and password is for you only.

Please do not share it with anyone else.

http://www.seedanalysts.com/


http://www.seedanalysts.ca/


SEED ANALYST ACCREDITATION EXAMINATIONS DEADLINE!

Reminder

The application date for the Seed Analyst Accreditation

Examinations is now April 1st.

If you have any questions please send to

[email protected]

TIME TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ON

MARCH 7TH 2015 AFTER MIDNIGHT!



GERMINATION MAGAZINE ARTICLES

CSAAC supplies an article for each publication of the Germination Magazine. This

allows us to get our message out about technical and other seed testing issues and to

make our presence known in the seed industry.

It gives CSAAC a perfect opportunity to stand up and be counted. Germination

Magazine gives us the ability to have an opportunity to teach the seed industry and the

Germination Magazine subscribers something about seed testing which is very important.

We NEED you to assist in writing an article about seed testing that we can use in the

Germination Magazine. We want as many as possible articles. The article is approx.

500 words long. You write up a draft article and send to Cathie Ornawka as head of the

Germination Magazine committee then it will be proofed. Once the article is finalized,

Cathie will use the article when required.

FOR ONE MONTH ONLY, OFFERS ENDS WEDNESDAY APRIL 1st, 2015.

CSAAC is offering 1 E (Education) point for that article you would submit. To be

eligible for that point, your article must meet the requirements of the Germination

Magazine committee along with being an article on seed testing.

REMEMBER ONE TIME OFFER – 1 (E) EDUCATION POINT FOR 1 ARTICLE

Send all articles and questions to [email protected].

Calendar: 2015-16

CSI Board Meeting Ottawa, Ontario March 24th & 25th, 2015

CSAAC Board Meeting (Conference Call) April 22nd, 2015

CST/AOSA Annual Meeting Tampa, Florida, USA May 30th to June 5th, 2015

AOSCA Annual Meeting Vancouver, British Columbia June 21st to 24th, 2015

CSAAC Annual Meeting Saskatoon, Saskatchewan June 22nd to 24th, 2015

CSAAC Annual Meeting Quebec City, Quebec May 30th to June 1st, 2016

Breaking Dormancy is distributed to CSAAC Members. Please note the opinions expressed are those of

the contributors and are subject to change. Comments do not necessarily reflect the policies of the CSAAC

Board of Directors. Feedback and/or comments from members are invited.

Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada Inc., Box 208, 301 Rothesay Street, Douglas, MB.

R0K 0R0, Office Phone: 204-763-4610, Email: [email protected] Website:

www.seedanalysts.ca


http://www.seedanalysts.c/

breaking dormancy - seed analysts€¦ · csaac breaking dormancy march 2015 page 2 of 14...

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