AgroPages-SGS opens new laboratory in Russia-Agricultural news

SGS has opened a new laboratory in Voronezh, Russia, to study the seed quality of cereals, leguminous crops and oil-yielding crops.

Fully equipped to test corn, soybean, wheat and barley seeds, this new laboratory opened on April 1, 2015. It specialises in verifying seeds’ sowing characteristics, for example, germination, purity or weight per 1,000 seeds.

Seed quality analysis has an important role to play in agriculture. Testing and analysis enables informed decisions to be made on sowing, planting as well as improving understanding of how a batch of seed will perform. The results can help to ensure proper plant growth without additional energy costs (for example, fertilisers and pesticides) as well as assuring to reduce the negative impact of weeds, diseases and pests. Analysis can therefore increase crop yield and production quality, as well as assuring the sustainability of the field.

The company uses both Russian and international methods to conduct seed quality testing in SGS Voronezh laboratory. In addition, they also offer professional sampling services, which improve the accuracy of analysis.

Though seed quality analysis services are currently limited to corn, soybean, wheat and barley seed, in the future, SGS plans to expand the new laboratory’s scope of services to other crops.