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SHAWNEETOWN, Ill. — Everyone knows the value of a head start, and that’s exactly what seed treatment is all about.
A group of teachers with the Southern Illinois Summer Agriculture Institute visited David Logsdon of Agrarian Enterprises in Shawneetown and Keith Oglesby of Home Run Seed and Consulting in Harrisburg to learn more about this technology.
As it turns out, both businesses sell and use Pioneer seed technology in their services. Here’s what the teachers asked about.
What’s the advantage of using this treatment? Why not use plain seed?
“It is absolutely amazing. The first time I started using treated beans I couldn’t believe it. By the fifth day, every single seed was up,” Logsdon said. “This is about giving the plant a fighting chance.”
As a farmer himself, he was so impressed with this technology that he invested about $375,000 to buy the treatment equipment. The chemicals from the treatments tend to be used up or broken down within 90 days, well after farmers have applied additional treatments to help the crop health.
Has it been a good investment?
Logsdon said yes with a laugh. This year alone, he said he treated enough seed to send back seven semitrailers full of disassembled pro box seed containers.
For $10 per unit of 140,000 soybean seed, for example, the raw seed is sprayed as it passes drums filled with liquid fertilizers, insecticides and fungicide, then coated with talc to prevent sticking and dried.
The seed ends up a bright green color, making it easy to identify from other seed.
Did you have training to learn how to do this?
While most of the automated process is commanded by a computer control panel, Logsdon admitted that he’s learned the most from the tech support staff over the phone, helping him troubleshoot problems.
“But it’s a fairly simple process once you understand it,” he added.
Do you have to treat only Pioneer seed?
No, Logsdon said, he can treat any kind of seed. He noted that he has one customer who plants non-genetically modified seed, so Logsdon ensures to treat his seed first to reduce any risk of cross contamination.
“The system cleans out well to bring with,” he said, “but it takes all day to clean out and scrub out the tanks.”
How many different kinds of seeds so you sell?
For Oglesby, now in this third year of operation, he said there are 12 corn varieties and “so many soybean varieties, depending on what kind of technology you want.” He’s also sold sorghum and sudan grass seed, as well.
How do you know which kind of seed to recommend?
“We do a lot research and figure out that works in our area and on what types of ground. I try to do a good amount of placing things where they will do best,” Oglesby said.
He added that his consulting services often blend well with the seed sales, which are charged on a per acre basis. Those services can range from chemical advice and field scouting to equipment purchase and whatever else the customer wants.
“Don’t sell anything but seed. So, I’m objective with my recommendations,” Oglesby added.
What’s your education?
While Oglesby has a bachelor’s degree in ag education and a minor in ag business from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, his business manager, Jamie Evans, also has an SIU bachelor’s degree in ag business economics.
How is your job different know from your first one?
Oglesby explained that his first job out of college was crop advisement for Farm Service, a job that he had for nearly two decades.
“Owning your business is a different kind of pressure,” he explained. “It’s more financial because I have to make the investment. I have to make this work in order to pay it off and move forward. I decided to take a chance and so far I’m really thrilled with this.”