In a recent Seed World Canada article, Holly Gelech, Senior Business Development Manager of Crop Science for SGS in Canada, discussed how her team supports local growers to stay competitive, thanks to a combination of local expertise and global testing standards.
Canadian operations: regional expertise, global standards
"Every day, we are energized by the technical complexity and crop diversity of the work we conduct at our seed laboratories. What excites us most? Knowing that our seed customers benefit directly from the strength of our network," writes Holly.
Across Canada, we have multiple facilities that support the agriculture industry. For example, in Grande Prairie, Alberta, we frequently collaborate with local seed growers and turf grass companies. Operating in a key fescue seed-producing region, our testing ensures high-quality requirements are met to suit both domestic and international markets.
Meanwhile, in Sherwood Park, our laboratory serves as a national hub, testing all crop types with a wide array of analysis, including:
- Routine accredited analysis and seed health including germination, purity, vigor, seed size and trait assays. Our flexibility shows in our many method standards – Canadian, International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA)
- Disease diagnostics, ranging from visual identification of fungal pathogens to molecular testing techniques
- Seed chemistry, encompassing treatment analysis and evaluation of quality indicators such as chlorophyll and tannins
Confidence through effective collaboration
Holly and her colleagues in Canada work closely with their USA counterparts. Our laboratory in Brookings, South Dakota, also offers a wide variety of seed testing capabilities. Knowledge sharing among our labs further enhances our ability to actively and effectively support our clients, so they can be assured that all their needs will be met.
Knowledge shared across our networks includes:
- Stress tolerance evaluations, such as saturated cold and accelerated aging tests, which help assess seed vigor under environmental pressures
- Regulatory and movement support, as customers expand into new international markets. With ISTA-accredited laboratories and local specialists across multiple countries, we help clients navigate varied testing protocols and export documentation requirements
- Vegetable seed diagnostics, where precision is critical due to condensed production timelines in controlled environments
Planting for the future
With the planting season underway, we can optimize your planting strategies. This season, results have shown striking variability: wheat germination rates have ranged from 100% down to 25%, barley as low as 14%,and pulses like peas falling to 24% in some samples. We offer essential warm germination, cool stress, and thousand kernel weight tests, which help predict emergence and ensure target plant densities.
Why SGS?
With a responsive and technically robust seed testing network spanning from northern Alberta to the US Midwest, we stay closely attuned to what’s happening in the field. We use integrated diagnostics and deep regional expertise to provide support from early-stage breeding to global distribution, so you can make informed, confident decisions at every stage of seed development.
Interested in learning more about our testing capabilities or need help prepping for the season? Visit Crop Science.
For further information, please contact:
Holly Gelech
Senior Business Development Manager
Crop Science
t:+1 780 660 9657
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of 99,500 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.
Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Brightsight, Bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.
SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH1256740924, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).
