Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. (MWSS) is an independent, full-service, ISO9001 certified seed testing laboratory. The Research Department at MWSS has been growing steadily over the past year and includes both in-house and client contract research projects. In-house research focuses on developing new vigor and herbicide tests and on improving standard germination methods; while client contract research centers around the special needs of the client. Due to this growth, the Research Department at MWSS recently expanded with the addition of a research position and by separating in-house projects from client contract studies.

The MWSS Research Department continually seeks new opportunities to benefit the seed industry and strives to discover ways to improve currently accepted and utilized testing methods. By organizing and participating in referee studies, we are able to submit proposed rule changes to The Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) Rules for Testing Seeds.

Unbiased research must be conducted on not only new products (traits, equipment, seed treatments, fungicides, insecticides and polymers), but on standard germination and vigor tests as well. For many species, vigor and stress tests are either not currently available or in need of refinement and improvement.

We are pleased to announce that Sarah Buchholz has joined the MWSS Research Department as the In-House Research Associate. Sarah grew up in the upper Midwest and obtained her B.S. in Family Consumer Sciences, with an emphasis in Food Science, from South Dakota State University (SDSU). She continued at SDSU focusing on Food Science with a thesis entitled, "Stability of Added and Natural Folate in Food Systems" and received her Master of Sciences in Nutrition and Food Science.

She received a research scholarship from the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council where she developed many recipes for their cookbook and won three awards at the state competition. Sarah also worked in the Food Science Research Laboratory at SDSU until she began graduate school.

Sarah had the opportunity to work in the Research and Development Group of Haagen-Dazs during the summer of 1999. Her work focused on developing and improving ice cream flavors and novelties. The following summer she was awarded a scholarship from ARLA Foods, Inc. to attend the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen, Denmark to further study food quality in Europe.

Sarah’s position at MWSS will focus on projects such as herbicide bioassay tests, germination methods for grasses and improving vigor test methods.