Seed Technological Centre

At Rijk Zwaan’s head office in De Lier, the Netherlands, is located the Zaad Technologisch Centrum (Seed Technological Centre) or ZTC. All seed produced for Rijk Zwaan is further processed in this technologically advanced centre. The quality of the seed is also rigorously tested. The end result is seed with great reliability and of a high quality: seed with the qualities and characteristics of a top variety, suitable for professional growers wherever in the world they may be.



Harvested seed is not immediately suitable for use. It could be contaminated with weed seed, for example. The seed often also comes in many shapes and sizes. The seed can also lack germination vigour. In the ZTC the seed is generally subjected to the following processes:
registration and samples, drying and cleaning, graduating, pelleting, coating, priming, bulk quantities and small quantities, storage, marketing and logistics.

Registration and samples
All incoming seed is immediately checked, registered and given a code. Registration includes all information about source material, production and harvest. This information stays with a batch throughout the entire processing route. A sample is taken from each batch and tested for basis characteristics. The results of this test dictate the treatments a batch requires.

Drying and cleaning
Depending on the degree of moisture found in the seed, it is dried in a drying cell or cabinet. Cleaning the seed can be done manually or mechanically, using wind or sieves.


Graduating
Graduating is the grading of seed on various characteristics. Graded seed is easier to use in drilling equipment and all the seed has the same qualities and characteristics while growing.

Graduating methods used:
- weight; wind
- specific gravity; wind or liquid
- size, length; sieves or photographic eye
- shape; specific resistance
- colour; photographic eye


Pelleting
Seeds can have the most bizarre shapes. This makes mechanical drilling difficult, especially precision drilling, and is true of lettuce seed in particular. That is why Rijk Zwaan creates a thin, round covering around each individual lettuce seed so that each seed becomes uniform in shape and size. This covering is made of natural substances and will very quickly disintegrate after sowing. This process is called pelleting.


Coating
Each seed offers an opportunity to serve as a carrier of small amounts of crop protection preparations. When germinating, the seedling absorbs these and so has immediate protection against diseases. This means an enormous saving in the amount of product used, compared with blanket treatments and chemical controls. The preparations are applied to the seed by machine in the form of a coating.

Priming
When priming seed, germination is given a bit of a start, so to speak, and then stopped again. After priming, a seed batch can germinate faster or more uniformly. A primed batch of seed is also capable of germinating in conditions when it would be difficult or impossible for non-primed seed to do so.

Bulk quantities and small quantities
Clean, approved seed can be packed. Rijk Zwaan packs in bulk and small quantities, in sacks, tubs and packets. Packing is done mechanically on the basis of a certain number of seeds or, in the case of bulk quantities, by total weight. After packing the exact contents are immediately printed on the packaging. Once packed, the seed can then be delivered as per order or kept in stock.

Storage
Not all incoming seed can be processed straightaway. And not all processed seed is sold immediately. That is why Rijk Zwaan has a large warehouse. Part of this warehouse is equipped with climate control, where seed is stored at 15°C.

Marketing and logistics
The logistics of the ZTC have been designed in such a way that all processes from delivery to the centre onwards are arranged sequentially inside the building. Each time a batch of seed is handled, it is recorded in a data warehouse system so that the Marketing Support Department always knows exactly how much seed of a certain variety is in stock and in what form. Marketing Support looks after deliveries to the subsidiaries and is, therefore, in close contact with all subsidiaries in order to be able to react to market demand as quickly and effectively as possible.